A Prison of Memory
by Finalhazrd
Summary: A couple trapped in the Dark Hour, by now severed of all ties to the real world, reaches out for help to the members of SEES in their dreams, pulling them from their now peaceful school lives back into the tide of battle for one last rescue mission.
1. Prologue

Summary (what's going down, more or less): It's been almost a full year since Nyx was sealed away, and six months since the Desert of Doors incident. The remaining members of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad have finished their Journey and found their Answer, and are now getting on with their normal lives at last, free from the Shadows and their burden. But when the Dark Hour vanished, it took two final victims with it, locking them in a Shadow-infested twilight world with no means of escape. By now robbed of their memories of life in the real world, and desperate for an end to the constant fighting, the couple reaches out for help from the all-but-forgotten Dark Hour to the only chance of redemption they have left—six ordinary kids and their dog, who are pulled back into their own memories for one last rescue mission.

Disclaimer (don't say I never told you so): Just to be on the safe side of things, this story is rated M, which means there's a high risk that something violent, obscene, and/or sexual may happen at some point down the road. The game was rated M, and I don't want to have to sacrifice the tone to meet censorship regulations later on, if it should come to that. If this bothers you, save us all the trouble and don't read, please—although if this is the case, you really shouldn't have played P3 FES in the first place...

Also, I obviously don't own the rights to Persona 3, the Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole, or any of the songs or lyrics thereof that I use in the course of this story. Those are all owned by whoever else owns them. Just throwing that out there.

A/N (read me, I'm important): This story was inspired, obviously, from the events of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. The actual plot was inspired by no single source very prominently, so it's probably a mess of all kinds of thoughts I had floating around my head. The idea for posting relevant song lyrics before each chapter comes from the fanfic author xxxfire-feariexxx, most notably her story Victimized (look it up and read it; it's damn good). In fact, the only reason I started writing fanfiction at all is because I was impressed with her work, so I'll probably blatantly promote her further down the road some more as well.

Though this first song should be familiar for anyone who's ever even seen the game for any length of time, I referenced the actual lyrics from Data Drain's Soundtrack/Lyrics FAQ on GameFAQs, as I could never be completely sure myself what Ms. Kawamura was trying to say.

One last note: This story takes the story events of The Answer into its background. If you've played Persona 3, but not Persona 3 FES, you'll probably miss some references, but you can probably still enjoy the story. This is an extension of events, not a parallel version of the original story. And now I'll be quiet and let you read.

* * *

Dreamless dorm, ticking clock  
I walk away from the soundless room

Windless night, moonlight melts  
My ghostly shadow to the lukewarm gloom

Nightly dance of bleeding swords  
Reminds me that I still live

I will burn my dread  
I once ran away from the god of fear  
And he chained me to despair

Burn my dread  
I'll break the chains and run  
Till I see the sunlight again

I lift my face and run to the sunlight

—Burn My Dread, by Yumi Kawamura

* * *

The clock strikes midnight, chimes once, then explodes.

The night sky turns green, eerie. Ominous. This is not a natural color. In a healthy world, this sky should not exist.

The moon glows yellow—actually glows with a light of its own. There is no sun in this world. That fluorescent light comes from within, a product of something that should not be there.

A moment ago, as the day drew to a close, people were bustling about in the streets: heading home from work, heading to work from home, heading from one club to the next, walking pets, talking with friends, holding cell phones, holding beer, holding each other. Living, as only people know how, at the end of the twenty-fourth hour, before the dawn of the next moment, the next new reality.

They're not there anymore. Their reality has been postponed. In their place stand monoliths of black up to seven feet tall. Where once people stood, coffins now stand upright in stark contrast to the vibrancy of life before this moment. Some leak blood, which pools in massive puddles at the base of these new monuments, running but never congealing, never drying up. Beneath this sky, beneath this moon, the blood is a vibrant but lifeless crimson, richer in color than blood should ever be.

These people, captured mid-sentence, mid-step, mid-life—they are the lucky ones. Trapped within their coffins as they are, shut in from the new world around them, they remain oblivious to it. Their lives will resume when all this ends; they will finish their sentences, their steps, and move on to their new moments, never once knowing of the green sky or the yellow moon, or what they become beneath them. They are the victims of circumstance, but they do not see their plight, do not even know that it exists.

But not all of them are so fortuitous. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the veil of ignorance is lifted. Sometimes, as reality breaks and the shattered clock pieces fall to the floor, people are left standing. People, not coffins, thrust into a strange new world, suddenly and at once shut away from the lives they knew. They see the perversion of their sky, their friends transformed before their eyes into bleeding statues honoring death. These poor souls, slaves enlightened to their bondage upon seeing the nightly rape of life for the first time—they panic. Their perception of reality shatters like the clock's face, and as they struggle to understand, to put meaning to this sudden desecration of their world, they are often devoured. Their minds fall prey to sinister forces that stalk the world beneath the green sky. If they make it back to their own reality, to the safe-haven that left them for dead on the shores of this twisted plane, it is not as the same person they came in as. The survivors are little more than empty shells, a waste byproduct of the world that consumed them. They return stoic, without thought or energy. Comatose. Zombified. Lost.

Rare are those who stumble into this plane. Rarer still are those who emerge again unscathed, their minds and bodies intact. However rare, though, such occurrences are not impossible. Those with the potential to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, alone but unafraid, in danger but suffering no grievances, must eventually do so; and from the first night they awaken to such talent, they are destined to step into this strange frontier each time it appears, night after night, every night 'til eternity so long as the yellow moon exists. When the clock blows, they alone are left standing against the darkness, to do as they will in a world where human beings have no place and are not welcome.

Some exploit such power, while others hide it away and pretend that it doesn't exist, that the warped view outside is only a recurring nightmare. But some see this moment for what it is, what it truly signifies, and they embrace their potential. They fight back against the injustice of a distorted world. They hunt the darkness down, confront it, and kill it. Every night, while the blissfully ignorant sleep inside their coffins, they head into battle with the firm belief that, somehow, they must set the world right.

This is the Dark Hour, where what evil lurks in the hearts of men is made corporeal. This is the kingdom of absolute death, who sits in her golden throne atop her jade palace and watches the world below slowly surrender to her presence. Her spawn are the shadows that feed on human apathy, and her citadel rises up to meet her every night, growing larger as the will to live diminishes. She reigns unopposed but for those rare few who dare to desecrate her home and slay her children, all in the hope of one day dragging her down from her throne in the sky and reclaiming the sanctity of life.

About one year ago, they succeeded. By conquering their own souls and wielding their inner personas as weapons against their fate, they conquered the Tower of Demise and wrenched the incarnation of oblivion from her seat of power. The bravest among them sealed her away from the world with his own indomitable will, forfeiting his physical existence to stand guard at the doors of her prison, that none may set her free and place her back in the sky. Their objective realized, the remainder of the rebels returned to their lives, as the world they knew was freed from the clutches of utter darkness, and all connection with the Dark Hour was severed.

This is what we're told, anyway. The two of us, we've never known anything else outside this haunted wasteland.

We're standing in the parallel version of Iwatodai, staring up at a vacant dormitory that, six months ago, housed a group of six students and their dog. From what we've heard, they used to be like us; for exactly one hour every night, they entered our world. It was they who ascended the Shadow Labyrinth to stage a coup on the goddess hidden in the moon.

The difference between us and them, though, is that after an hour, they left—they went back to their normal lives again, returning once more after twenty-four hours of stable reality, away from this emotional dumping ground of blood and coffins and shadows. The Dark Hour came for them as promised; an hour of darkness, once every night.

Not so for us. For us, it is eternal. All that changes is the position of the coffins.

Staring up at this empty building, we wonder where they've gone. We wonder why this world still exists if Death no longer watches over it. We wonder why the Dark Hour surrendered them each night when it refuses to let us out.

We have ceased wondering how we came to be here in the first place.

We wonder these things, and suddenly the moonlight is blocked out. Not by clouds—never by clouds, not this doomed moon. One of _them _has come up behind us. There are no peaceful moments in this world; each one is a struggle for survival. There is always something trying to destroy our minds.

We don't turn to face it, though we share a glance. There is sadness there, and pity, and exhaustion. We tire of this unending battle, but we still will not surrender to death. That is not the escape we want.

We don't turn. We close our eyes instead, ignoring the otherworldly growling behind us. I hold my gun to her head, as she holds hers to mine.

We pull the triggers.

There is a sound like that of glass shattering into a thousand pieces, a burst of light, a sudden surge of power. A strange sensation washes through us. It feels like some great pressure has been released. It feels like liberation. Like freedom.

While we remain trapped here, it is the only freedom we will ever know.


	2. Chapter 1: Same Old Song and Dance

A/N (they're shorter this time, I swear): Ah, chapter 1! Affirmation that I'm really going to go on with this thing instead of posting an idea in the prologue and leaving it. It still has that new story smell . . .

We're jumping straight into the important events and hitting the ground running here. All of you in Readerland should know the exposition and back story already (this is a fanfic, after all), and the prologue was sufficient enough to give the general idea to come. I won't stretch the plot thin with unnecessary story padding; I suck at it anyway.

The song may seem an odd choice, especially in an RPG story set in modern Japan and permeated with pop, techno, and rap tunes, but I'm using what I know. Indulge me. They're all relevant once you know what's going on, and reusing the same in-game songs again and again would get boring. Lyrics referenced at LyricsOnDemand.

Read. Enjoy. Review. Read again.

* * *

Shady lookin' loser, you played with my gun  
No smooth faced lawyer to getcha undone  
Say love ain't the same on the south side of town  
You could look, but you ain't gonna find it around

It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend  
It's the same old story, same old story  
Same old song and dance

Fate comes a-knockin', doors start lockin'  
Your old time connection, change your direction  
Ain't gonna change it, can't rearrange it  
Can't stand the pain when it's all the same to you, my friend

When you're low down and dirty from walkin' the street  
With your old hurdy-gurdy, no one to meet  
Say love ain't the same, on the south side of town  
You could look, but you ain't gonna find it around

It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend  
It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend  
It's the same old story, same old story  
Same old song and dance

—Same Old Song And Dance, by Aerosmith

* * *

"Ugh…where could it be?" Yukari pulled her head out of the closet and slid the door closed. "Aigis, have you seen my bow lying around? I can't find it anywhere."

"There is a whole row of them hanging in the closet," Aigis answered, turning away from the computer to watch her roommate's search.

"No, not those. Those are just spare practice bows." She lifted her futon and checked under the mattress just in case, but the floor beneath was bare. "I'm looking for my good bow, the one I got from Shinshoudo Antiques. It was . . . bigger." She held her hands out at arm's length away from each other. The gesture looked like she was asking for a hug. "About this big," she clarified, "and not as plain looking. I mean, not gaudy, but . . ." She trailed off, looking hopefully at Aigis.

"I believe I know the one," she said. "You carried it in battle for a while, didn't you?"

"Yeah, it was my best weapon," said Yukari, and sighed with relief. "Good, I thought I'd lost it. Where is it?"

"I haven't seen it," Aigis answered, frowning. "I remember what it looks like, but I don't recall seeing it around anywhere."

Yukari groaned and hung her head. "Great . . . The timing couldn't be worse." She slumped down on her bed and frowned at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Yukari-san," said Aigis. "Where was the last place you remember it being?"

"I'm not sure," she said, resting her chin in her hands. "I know I moved all of my stuff out of my old room after Graduation Day, so I know it was here then. And the only time I used it after that was—" She gasped and stood up, her eyes suddenly wide. "Oh no!"

"Yukari-san?" Aigis asked, standing up with her and looking worried. "What's the matter?"

"I took it back to the old dorm with me on March 31st! Oh man . . ." she whined, her shoulders slumping. "Don't tell me I left it there after that mess was over . . ."

Aigis looked out their dorm room window, which faced Iwatodai toward Port Island. Still, the old dorm wasn't visible this far away on this particular floor. "The fighting has ended," she said helpfully. "The Dark Hour is gone, and we've all moved on. There aren't any more Shadows left. You should be alright without it."

"Yeah, I know," Yukari sighed. "But I wanted it for the tournament that's coming up in Archery Club. It'd be a breeze with that thing."

"Isn't that cheating?" Aigis asked.

"There's nothing in the rulebook about it," said Yukari. "I already asked Coach, and he gave me the okay. He said it's fine so long as there isn't a scope or anything mechanical." She sat down on her bed, dejected, then suddenly stood right back up. "What if I left it in the Desert of Doors? It could be gone forever!" She rushed over to her desk and yanked open the top drawer, pocketing her keys and wallet. "I'm gonna go get it now while it's still on my mind. Otherwise I'll worry too much to concentrate on studying."

"But Mitsuru-san had the dorm locked down in April," Aigis argued. "How will you get in?"

"It's alright, I have a key." She stopped and pulled her key ring out of her pocket, double checking her own statement. "Mitsuru-senpai gave me a spare in case any of us needed back in while she was in college. Yeah, here it is." She stuffed the keys back into her jeans and strode toward the door, in an obvious hurry. "I'll be back sometime tonight after I find it," she called to her roommate, then closed the door and half-ran down the stairs.

"Yukari-chan?" called Fuuka as she came through the lounge. "Is something wrong?" She was seated on the couch next to another girl, sharing a book. Both looked up as Yukari ran past them.

"Huh? Oh, nothing major." She stopped with her hand on the front door handle. "I forgot something at the old dorm, and I wanted to run back and get it."

"At this time of night?" asked Fuuka. "You won't make it back until past midnight if you go now."

"It's . . . _kind_ of major, I guess," she said, hesitating. "It's nothing life or death, but I'd feel better with it here, or at least if I knew where it was, exactly."

"I see," said Fuuka. "I'll come with you." She stood up and handed the book to the other girl. "I'll be back later tonight, Sakura-chan. Thank you for studying with me."

"Are you sure?" Yukari asked, opening the door. She held it for Fuuka, then followed her out.

"Yeah, I could use the fresh air," she said with a smile as they started across town. "Besides, I can help you look for it. And I wouldn't mind seeing the old dorm again."

"Thanks, Fuuka. I didn't want to bother you if you were studying. Who was your partner back there?" she asked. "Friend from class?"

"Sakura-chan? She's my roommate," answered Fuuka. "I didn't know her until I moved in, but she said she asked specifically to room with me."

"That's weird. I wonder why?"

"I think it was because I know Mitsuru-senpai so well," Fuuka said, her brow creasing. "She's always asking me about her. And she said she's not focusing well at school anymore since Senpai graduated, which is why I've been helping her study."

Yukari sighed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised she has a fan club, but still . . . Hey, wait," she added, turning to Fuuka. "You didn't volunteer to come with me just to get away from talking about Mitsuru-senpai, did you?"

"Huh? Um . . ." Fuuka blushed and looked down at her feet as she walked. "No, not really. I don't mind talking about Senpai . . . though that isall Sakura-chan ever wants to talk about . . . "

Yukari giggled. "Poor Fuuka. Guess you're the new fan club president, huh?"

"Huh?!" she asked. "W-wait a minute!"

Yukari giggled again.

* * *

"Did you find it yet, Fuuka?" Yukari yelled down the third floor hall. They'd checked the lounge over as soon as they got inside, then searched the dining room near where the floor had opened up in March, but no bow.

"Not yet," Fuuka called back. "But I don't think it would be in my old room anyway . . ."

"But we checked the first floor over completely," Yukari argued, ducking back into her own old room. "And all the landings, and even all the bathrooms. It has to be here somewhere!"

"Did you check the command room?" asked Fuuka, going to Yukari's door to hear her better.

"No, but I never went in the command room that day," said Yukari. "Or days," she added, "or whatever it was."

"No, but you didn't go in my room either," Fuuka argued. "In fact after you got here, we all pretty much stayed on the ground floor."

Yukari moaned loudly and sank to her knees on the floor. "Great . . . I probably left it beneath the floor in that damn desert. I'll never see it again . . ." She buried her face in her knees and sighed loudly.

"I'm sorry, Yukari-chan," Fuuka said, stepping up beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "If it were a Shadow or a Persona, I could look for it with Juno, but . . ."

"Well . . . it's kind of a Persona," said Yukari, looking up again. "The antique dealer in Paulownia Mall made it. It was supposed to have a Persona fused inside it."

"Really?" Fuuka asked in surprise. "Oh, wait, that's right. I remember her telling me about that when I went there once. But . . . doesn't that mean you lose your Persona?"

"Well, it wasn't _my _Persona she fused into it; it was one of _his_," she clarified. "Since he was the only one who had more than one Persona to spare, he had all those weapons made."

"I see," Fuuka said thoughtfully. "Then the reason you want to find it so badly . . ."

Yukari nodded sullenly. "It's my best bow," she said. "And it was also a present from him, back before we fought Nyx."

"Yukari-chan . . ." Fuuka looked up at the ceiling, as if searching for something, then said, "Well, I've never tried it before . . . but if there's a Persona inside of it, I may be able to locate it."

"Really?" Yukari asked, standing up and bowing to her friend. "Thank you so much, Fuuka!"

She smiled and nodded, then put her hands to her chest and closed her eyes. There were a few moments of silence while she concentrated, and then, "Oh . . . I found it!" she proclaimed. "It's on the second floor, directly below us."

"Really?! Thank you, Fuuka!" Yukari said again, and then ran out the door and down the hall, with Fuuka following soon after.

When they opened the door to his old room, the bow was in plain sight leaning against his old desk. "Thank goodness," Yukari sighed, walking over to it and picking it up. "I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I hadn't found it. Thanks again, Fuuka."

"You're welcome," she said, walking over and looking at the bow in her friend's hand. "But it's strange. Why was it in this room, of all places? I know for a fact that nobody even opened his door that day; in fact that huge fight we all had was to decide whether we should or not."

"I came back in here after it was all over, on April 1st," Yukari explained. "I wanted to say goodbye one last time since I didn't think I'd see this place again in a long time."

Fuuka looked at her with a touch of worry on her face. "Are you alright, Yukari-chan?" she asked cautiously. "You were probably the most depressed when it happened . . ."

"Me or Aigis," Yukari corrected quietly, then smiled. "But yeah, I'm alright. I mean, if I was still hung up over it, it'd still be March 31st right now, right?" She laughed a little, then went and sat down on the empty bed, looking nostalgically over the room. "I was just paying my respects, I suppose. And saying sorry for being so difficult after what he did for us all. I must have got distracted and left this here." She put one end of the bow on the ground and twirled it slowly beneath her finger.

Fuuka came and sat down next to her. "I think it's okay to still be a little sad about it," she said. "But I'm glad everybody's come to terms with their feelings; not just for our sakes, but his as well."

"Yeah . . ." Yukari pulled the bow up next to her on the bed and sat back on her hands. "Well, at any rate, I'm glad I found it. Now I can sleep easier tonight." She yawned then and laid back on the mattress with her hands behind her head. "Wow . . . I guess I was so nervous, I didn't realize how tired I am . . ."

Fuuka leaned back on her own hands and looked out the window at the night sky. "We should probably head back now," she said. "It's already past curfew, and exams are coming up . . ." Then she yawned herself and laid back next to Yukari.

They were both asleep within a handful of seconds.

* * *

They both started to stir at the same time as well, sitting slowly up in the bed and blinking the sleep from their eyes. They shook their head and yawned, stretching lazily and looking around them. However, Fuuka was the first to notice the change.

"Where are we?" she asked, her question addressed to the room in general. The edges of her vision were still dark and hazy, and what light filtered in through the window was an odd twilight sort of dark green.

"This isn't my room . . ." Yukari said groggily, rubbing her eyes as Fuuka stood and went to the window. "Oh, right . . . we came back to the old dorm for my bow. I remember. Must've dozed off . . ." She checked her wristwatch, but it was dead and numberless. "Crap . . . Battery must've died. What time is it?"

Near the window, Fuuka gasped suddenly and stepped back, her eyes wide in shock. "Y . . . Yukari-chan!" she breathed, pointing a trembling finger at the night outside. Her mouth opened and closed silently, forming words that died on her tongue.

"What?" the other girl asked nervously. "What is it?" She stood and went to the window, looking where her dorm mate was pointing.

Half the moon stared back at her, clear and radiant and eerily beautiful as it shone a luminescent yellow.

"What?!" cried Yukari, her eyes locked in horror on the sky outside. "That's . . . That can't seriously be . . !"

"All the lights outside are turned off," Fuuka noted quietly. "The moon's glowing, and the sky is green, and . . . something's out there . . ." She brought her hands to her chest instinctively and gulped, as if trying to swallow her fear. "I-I sense . . . malevolence. There are powerful beings out there, and . . . they're hunting something. Yukari!" she cried, turning to her friend. "It's . . . It's the Shadows! There are Shadows loose in Iwatodai!"

"The Dark Hour?!" Yukari demanded. "AGAIN?! What the hell is going on here?!" She went to the window and scanned the street below her. The streetlights were all dead, but the moon's glow reflected off of large pools of crimson that splattered the sidewalk. No one else was about, but across the street stood a lone coffin, black and glossy and horribly nostalgic. "Dammit!" she yelled, punching the wall next to the window. "We killed the twelve Shadows! We stopped Nyx! Tartarus and the Dark Hour disappeared! This should all be over!" She slumped to her knees on the floor, staring angrily at the blank wall in front of her. "We made sure of it this time! That's the whole reason he died after the fight! How many times is it going to come back to laugh at us?!"

"I-I don't know, but—"Fuuka gasped suddenly again, her hand flying to her mouth. "Someone's out there!" she exclaimed. "Someone other than the Shadows! And they're in trouble!"

The girls looked at each other, eyes still wide with the constant shock. "One of us?" Yukari asked, standing up. "Is it our senpai, or Junpei, or . . ."

"I don't know," answered Fuuka, "but they're being chased. Yukari-chan—"

She'd already grabbed her bow and was heading for the door. "Right," she said with a nod, "whatever's going on, we gotta help 'em. Let's go!"

They both hurried to the front door, shutting it tight behind them before they took off into the city night, which had inexplicably gone from a home to a battlefield once again.


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome to My Nightmare

A/N (more of the same): Well, it's been less than a week since I started writing this thing, and I'm already done with chapter 2. I'd say 'don't get used to this rapid update schedule', but at this point in the game, I don't think I really have any reader base outside of a couple of friends, and one of 'em isn't even reading to this point until she plays the game it was based on. To the other guy: Don't get used to this rapid update schedule. I'll try and have a new chapter up every Sunday or so, but again, I'm not pegging down a schedule. I'd rather get a good chapter up late than a sloppy chapter up on time.

One other thing. The way the last chapter ended, the story may seem kind of hokey, and this one probably won't help that much. 'OMG teh Dark Hour's back!' sounds like a cheap cop-out plot, I know, but this is still the first act. Stick around and keep reading; it gets better. In fact, it gets freakin' awesome, so tell everyone you know and keep checking back regularly so you don't miss any amazingness.

You're probably noticing a trend with chapter titles and the songs therein by now. So long as it doesn't get me in trouble, I'm a keep that up. Lyrics referenced at DarkLyrics.

* * *

Welcome to my nightmare  
I think you're gonna like it  
I think you're gonna feel you belong  
A nocturnal vacation  
Unnecessary sedation  
You want to feel at home 'cause you belong.  
Welcome to my nightmare, whoa, ho, ho, ho...

Welcome to my breakdown  
I hope I didn't scare you  
That's just the way we are when we come down  
We sweat and laugh and scream here  
'Cause life is just a dream here  
You know inside you feel right at home, here  
Yeah, Welcome to my nightmare, yeah, hey, hey, hey...

Welcome to my nightmare!  
I think you're gonna like it!  
I think you're gonna feel you belong!  
We sweat and laugh and scream here!  
'Cause life is just a dream here!  
You know inside you feel right at home, here!

Welcome to my nightmare, woo, hoo, hoo, hoo...  
Welcome to my breakdown...

—Welcome to My Nightmare, by Alice Cooper

* * *

"Where is it, Fuuka?" asked Yukari as they ran together down the streets of Iwatodai, blood splashing beneath their feet. The streetlights were all off, as was every light in every window, but the half-moon in the sky illuminated the dead city like a sadistic nightlight, drawing the monsters out instead of keeping them at bay. Everyone else on the street was trapped inside their coffins, transmogrified and shut away from the world for now. Except for the wet slap of blood beneath their feet, the entire city was silent as the two girls hurried through it, Yukari with her bow in hand.

Fuuka closed her eyes for a moment, slowing slightly so as not to stumble. "It's at the end of Moonlight Bridge on this side," she announced. "So is the other presence. I can't tell who's winning, though."

"Unless they're one of us, I don't think the Shadow's losing," Yukari said grimly. "Is it a Persona-user, do you know?"

"I . . . I think so," Fuuka said slowly, shutting her eyes again. She almost collided with a coffin until Yukari pulled her out of the way. They stumbled together for a moment, then righted themselves and ran on. "Yes, it's a Persona-user," she reported. "Actually . . . wait . . . it's two Persona-users. They're fighting the Shadow together, but I can't tell who they are."

"And the Shadow?" asked Yukari.

"It feels like a guardian, but it's outside Tartarus. Actually," she added, scanning the horizon and what she could see over the tops of the surrounding buildings, "I don't see Tartarus at all, and I can't sense the vague mass of shadows I used to when it was around."

"That's good," said Yukari. "Tartarus is still gone. At least that's _some _consolation, even if it makes this whole thing make less sense." Close by, something roared, the sound echoing off the lifeless buildings throughout the city. The girls turned the next corner and stopped. A few blocks ahead of them, Moonlight Bridge stretched across the river to Port Island.

In front of that, though, was a hairy monster that stood over eight feet tall—over ten including its horns. Its legs ended in hooves, but its arms looked like those of a human, albeit a giant furry human. The chains around its wrists and neck didn't seem to be hindering it at all, but they did seem to be pissing it off. And its face was covered by an upside-down frowning mask.

"It's a minotaur," said Fuuka. "It's powerful, just like a guardian. Its arcana is the Hanged Man." She looked nervously up at the other girl. "We've fought these kinds of Shadows before, but . . ."

"But he was the only one that ever fought them by himself," Yukari finished with a nod. "Still, we can't sit back and do nothing."

"Yukari-chan . . ."

"You stay here and back me up, okay Fuuka? If it doesn't look like I can handle it, we'll run. Whoever's fighting, I'll try to at least help them escape. Alright?"

Fuuka nodded. "Alright," she said. "Be careful, Yukari-chan. I believe in you."

"Thanks," said Yukari, then ran off toward the bridge.

* * *

The minotaur roared and charged, head lowered, at its two intended victims, who barely managed to dive out of the way in time. It skidded to a stop and turned on them, shackles rattling as it flailed its arms and tossed its head, and then an arrow thudded into its leg, sending it stumbling sideways before it toppled over.

"I got here as fast as I could!" Yukari announced, stepping between the two and the fallen Shadow. "Don't worry, I got your back!" She turned her head to glance at the people behind her, then turned all the way and really looked at them.

One of them was a guy with a mop of messy black hair in a dark sweater and jeans. The other was a girl with waist-length black hair and long bangs in a heavy black dress. She held a length of pipe tight in her hands like a club. The boy held nothing, but his knuckles were dark with bruises. Neither of them looked familiar.

"Wait, who're you guys?" asked Yukari, looking between them. "Do I know you? What are you doing here?"

"Can we worry about that later?" the guy asked, his eyes looking past her. She turned to see the minotaur stagger to its feet, arrow intact, and roar at her.

"Uh, right!" she said, drawing her bow and firing again. The arrow sank into the Shadow's chest halfway up the shaft. It flinched, then swung its massive arm at the group, sending them sprawling out of the way on the bloody street.

The couple scrambled to their feet in one direction while Yukari rolled out of the way in another, rising to a crouch. The minotaur turned its attention to her, stepping purposely towards her as she hurriedly backed away. Instinctively her hand reached to her hip, but came up empty. She looked down in surprise before it sunk in; her Evoker was back in her dorm room, halfway across the city.

She cursed silently to herself and slotted another arrow instead, firing blindly as the Shadow dove at her. The arrow bounced off the creature's mask before it swatted her halfway down the block, bouncing her off the pavement.

_Yukari-chan! _cried Fuuka's panicked voice in her head. _Are you alright?!_

She groaned and raised herself up on her hands and knees, doing a quick check of her injuries. Nothing was broken or bleeding too badly. "I'm fine," she said, picking up her bow. "But I can't summon my Persona without an Evoker, and pierce attacks aren't working very well." She stood up, wiping the blood from her hands and hoisting her bow anyway. "What do you think, Fuuka?"

_Um, well, we might have a problem, _Fuuka said worriedly. _It's resistant to all physical attacks. Its only weakness is darkness. _There was a nervous silence for a moment before she added, _Yukari-chan? I think you should run…_

"But those two other guys," Yukari argued, half to herself. "I can't just run off and let them get eaten." She turned and looked back down the street at where Fuuka was standing, then back up towards the bridge. The minotaur had turned its attention back to the other two, who were frantically running from and dodging the monster's attacks. Its aim wasn't too great, but it overstepped the couple each time they tried to make a run for it, blocking their escape and wearing them down. "Fuuka, meet me at the station," Yukari said, running back towards the rampaging Shadow. "I'll try and distract it so they can escape. They're more worn out than I am."

_Alright, if you're sure. Be careful Yukari-chan!_

"Got it. Hey!" she yelled, stopping and drawing her bow. "Over here!" She fired another arrow into the beast's shoulder, and it roared and turned back towards her. "Run!" she yelled to the other two. "I'll keep it busy!"

The two looked at each other briefly, as if asking a silent question. With a nod, the girl reached into her dress pocket and pulled something out. "Catch!" she called, and threw the object over the minotaur's head. It clattered to the ground and skidded to a stop in front of Yukari, who bent and quickly scooped it up. Her eyes stayed on the charging Shadow, but her fingers tightened naturally around the sharp contours of the object. In her hand, it felt for all the world like a pistol.

The monster was only a few yards ahead of her, head bent, horns out in a full-on charge. Without hesitation, she put the barrel of the gun between her lips and squeezed the trigger.

There was a sound like a bullet being fired through a sheet of glass, and a burst of blue light swelled up beneath her, swirling around her like a whirlwind. Her Persona materialized over her head, an armless, winged torso with the white mask of a woman set in the black mask of a bull. The red gem hovering between the bull's horns flashed and shone crimson, and the charging minotaur was suddenly lifted up off the ground by a strong updraft that had come out of nowhere. Yukari ran beneath it and took off at a full sprint down the street before it crashed to the ground, the shockwave almost knocking her off her feet.

_What was that?_ came Fuuka's voice in her head. _I felt a surge in power for a minute there! What happened?_

"Change of plans!" Yukari huffed as she ran. "I managed to fight it off, but I doubt that stopped it! Can you tell me where those other two went?"

_They've passed the road leading to the station. I think they're headed for Naganaki Shrine._

"Good, I'm gonna try and catch up with them. Meet us there, but watch your back. That might not've been the only one loose in town."

_Yukari, was that your power I felt then? _asked Fuuka.

"That was Isis," said Yukari. "That girl gave me her Evoker. I don't think she had the energy to summon her own Persona anymore."

_She had an Evoker?_ Fuuka's voice sounded surprised. _Where did she get one from?_

"I dunno. I'll ask her when there are less important things going on." Behind her, the minotaur roared angrily, not yet defeated. "Let me know if it comes after me," she added.

_Uh, Yukari-chan . . . _Fuuka answered immediately. _It's coming after you . . ._

"What? Dammit!" She pushed herself faster, weaving between coffins that used to be people and kicking up blood from the puddles she splashed through in her flight.

* * *

Five minutes later, she reached the steps of Naganaki Shrine and collapsed against the wall, panting for breath. The roaring that followed her had grown fainter and more intermittent. It wasn't chasing her anymore; it was searching for her. This was a slight improvement.

She climbed the steps to the shrine grounds and looked around. Ahead of her were the main temple and offertory boxes. To the left was a playground. The right side was open with a railing, the view overlooking downtown Iwatodai. Nowhere did she see the Persona users she had bought an escape for.

"Hello?" she called, wandering up the path. The shrine grounds were completely devoid of coffins, and the random blood puddles were sparser. If it weren't for the way everything was bathed in a faint green light, Naganaki Shrine during the Dark Hour would've looked like Naganaki Shrine during any other time of night.

"Koro-chan?" Yukari called again. When the fighting ended six months ago, their dog Koromaru had gone back to his old home at the shrine. Since the animal had somehow been able to summon a Persona itself, it had also remained awake during the Dark Hour, fighting Shadows alongside the rest of the squad. "Koromaru! Are you here, boy?"

There was another monstrous roar behind her, louder this time. The Shadow was coming to the shrine.

Before she could think of what to do next, a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her sudden yell and pulling her back behind the offertory. "Stay down and keep quiet," the guy whispered, pulling her to a crouch next to himself and the other girl. "This one's been stalking us for a while. It doesn't give up and leave easily."

"Thanks for that," the girl added quietly. They all bent low behind the wooden box when they heard the Shadow's footsteps, its hooves stomping carefully up the shrine stairs. There was a harsh growl as it wandered over in their direction, rattling its chains as it turned its massive neck about looking for them. They all held their breath, pressing their backs hard against the wooden offertory and trying to take up as little space as possible. After a few minutes, the beast wandered over to the playground equipment. There was another angry roar followed by a groaning, creaking sound like metal being twisted apart. A few minutes later, the Shadow stomped back down the stairs and stalked off.

After the sound of its footsteps had died away somewhat, the three stood up from their hiding place. "That was close," sighed Yukari. "But what was that noise at the end?"

"Take a look," the guy said, nodding to the playground. The top of the jungle gym had been ripped open and pried apart, its twisted metal bars sticking out at odd angles around a gaping hole. "Looking for us, no doubt."

"Yukari-chan!" called a voice, and Fuuka ran up the steps to the shrine. "Thank goodness. You're all alright."

"Thanks to you guys," the unknown girl said with a bow. "But who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask the same question," Yukari said, then, "Hey, wait." She pointed to Fuuka and gave the couple a questioning look. "How did you know about her? She was out of sight feeding me backup."

"We know," the guy said. "We heard her."

"Really?" Fuuka asked. "But I was only communicating with Yukari-chan."

The couple shared a glance. "We've been here for a while, with only the Shadows for company. We've come to recognize any change in this place, even if it should be near imperceptible." He smiled slightly, then bowed politely. "We haven't been introduced, though. Call me Tetsu."

"I'm Itsu," the girl said, also bowing. "Thanks again."

The other two girls bowed in turn. "I'm Yukari," said Yukari. "And this is Fuuka."

"Pleased to meet you," said Fuuka.

"Tetsu and Itsu, was it?" Yukari asked. "Those sound like nicknames. What are your real names?"

The two looked at each other again for a moment, their faces blank. "We don't know," Itsu answered.

"We've been here for as long as we can remember," Tetsu added. "We can't remember our lives in the real world anymore."

"Seriously?" Yukari asked, surprised. "Wait . . . that doesn't make sense. The Dark Hour only lasts an hour every night. You can't remember an hour ago?"

"Perhaps it's only an hour for you," said Tetsu, "but for us, 'the Dark Hour' is a misleading name. We've been here much longer than an hour."

"You're trapped?" Yukari asked. "But how is that even possible?"

"This sounds sort of like what happened to me the June before last," said Fuuka. "I probably would've been trapped in the Dark Hour forever if you guys hadn't come looking for me."

"But, you were locked in Tartarus," Yukari argued. "You were only stuck because the tower disappeared during the day. And you were fine once we got you out. But Tartarus is gone, and the rest of Iwatodai stays the same after the Dark Hour ends." She shook her head in confusion and stared at the ground. "For that matter, why is there even a Dark Hour left to be stuck in? This time shouldn't exist anymore; in fact it hasn't ever since Nyx was sealed away back in January. Why would it return all of a sudden, now of all times? It doesn't make sense . . ."

"We thought so," Tetsu interrupted, looking between the two girls. "You're those high school students who traveled into the Dark Hour together, aren't you? You're the ones who fought the rogue Shadows that lived in this place and defeated Nyx after her resurrection." He smiled slightly, seeming somehow self-satisfied.

Fuuka and Yukari looked at each other, mildly shocked. "Yeah, we are," Yukari answered. "Well, not just us two, but we're two of that group, yeah. How do you know about that?"

Tetsu shook his head. "We're not sure of that either. Perhaps the Dark Hour remembers you. The longer we stay here, the more in tune we become with this world. Perhaps this is history through osmosis."

"All we know is that we're stuck here together," said Itsu. "We woke up in these streets under this sky with knowledge about the Dark Hour, the Shadows, and the power of Persona. We recognized each other, and we knew we were close, but we couldn't remember either of our names or personal histories before that moment. We've been fighting to stay alive ever since."

Fuuka glanced between the two of them, brow furrowed, then looked back at her friend. "This sounds more like what happened with Metis now than what happened with me."

"I don't get it," sighed Yukari. "This is too much to take in on too short notice. Just an hour ago all of this was behind us for good and all the questions had answers. Now I'm more confused than ever." She turned back to the couple with a tired look on her face. "Do you know about how long you've been going on like this? Hours, days, weeks?"

"Months, it feels like," answered Tetsu, "although it's hard to be sure of time here. We tried to count the hours by counting how often the coffins changed position, but we lost track a while ago."

"And you've been fighting this whole time?" asked Fuuka in disbelief.

"We steal food when we have to and sleep when nothing's chasing us," said Itsu. "Other than that, though, yes. Speaking of which," she added, looking to Yukari, "we haven't had a chance to rest in a while, and we're kind of running on empty. You probably noticed that when we didn't lift a finger to help fight off the minotaur."

"I figured as much," Yukari said with a nod. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Evoker Itsu had tossed to her, then wrapped her lips around the barrel and fired. Another gunshot, another shattering of nonexistent glass, and Isis reappeared in the air above Yukari's head. Its gem flashed red once more, and Tetsu and Itsu were engulfed in a white light. By the time it faded away moments later, their cuts and bruises were completely healed.

"Thanks," Itsu said, "but do you always mouth it? Seems like that'd get kind of unsanitary."

"Sorry," said Yukari. "Force of habit, I guess. I've never used one that wasn't mine before." She shrugged and handed the gun back to its owner, who wiped the barrel off on her dress.

"Thanks again," Itsu said. "I wasn't trying to sound pushy, but I wanted to be sure and get that back before you guys left."

"Before we left?" Fuuka repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Well, your Dark Hour is almost over, right?" Itsu asked. "You're not stuck like us; you'll be going back to your real lives soon." She smiled as she pocketed her Evoker. "It was a pleasure meeting you, though."

"Wait," argued Fuuka, "but if the Dark Hour ends, what'll happen to you guys?"

"Don't worry," said Tetsu. "We'll still be here. I'm sure we'll see you again." He smiled too, wrapping an arm around Itsu's shoulder and pulling her closer. "You guys, all of you—you're heroes. You stole the world's future back from Death and performed a great miracle. If anyone can help us, it's all of you. After all," he added, as the strange green light faded dark blue and the shadows at the edge of their vision spread and swallowed up the world, "with everything you've done so far, how hard can it be?"


	4. Chapter 3: The Kids are Back in Town

A/N (always a captivating look into my exciting life): This chapter comes after what has frankly been a horrible couple of weeks or so. Personal details aside, I've had a lot on my plate, and while it seems to be winding down some now, that doesn't mean I'm not still incredibly busy. However, I made it up to you guys by making this chapter a bit longer than usual.

I had a lot of fun with this one, moreso than the first two or three. These characters are so colorful they write their own dialogue; I was dictating more than authoring for most of this part of the story.

The song is 'The Boys are Back in Town' by Thin Lizzy. If you change 'boys' to 'demon-slaying students' in your head, you'll find it fits quite nicely (change 'Dino's Bar' to 'Escapade' or something, I dunno). Lyrics referenced at LyricsOnDemand.

Also, those of you who take the time to look at my profile, vote in my character poll. I'll try and write future chapters according to the results where applicable. This won't turn into a 'choose your own story' type thing, but it'd be useful to know who wants to see more of whom.

At any rate, enjoy y'selves.

* * *

Guess who just got back today?  
Those wild-eyed boys that had been away  
Haven't changed, haven't much to say  
But man, I still think those cats are great

They were asking if you were around  
How you was, where you could be found  
I told them you were living downtown  
Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town (the boys are back in town)  
I said, the boys are back in town (boys are back in town)  
The boys are back in town (boys are back in town)  
The boys are back in town (the boys are back in town)

Friday night they'll be dressed to kill  
Down at Dino's bar and grill  
The drink will flow and blood will spill  
And if the boys want to fight, you'd better let them

That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favorite song  
The nights are getting warmer, it won't be long  
It won't be long till summer comes  
Now that the boys are here again

The boys are back in town (the boys are back in town)  
The boys are back in town (boys are back in town)  
Spread the word around . . .  
The boys are back in town (the boys are back in town)  
(The boys are back . . . the boys are back . . .)

—The Boys are Back in Town, by Thin Lizzy

* * *

The sun was shining through the window with that pastel tint that meant morning when Fuuka and Yukari woke up. "Wha..?" Yukari groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What happened?" She yawned and stretched, then jumped up with a gasp when the memory hit. "The Dark Hour! That's right! It came back last night!" She grabbed Fuuka's shoulders and shook her conscious.

"Huh?" said Fuuka, blinking against the light and rising slowly. "This is his room . . . What are we doing back here?"

"Do you remember what happened last night?" asked Yukari.

"Last night?" Fuuka repeated. "We came here for your bow and—" She gasped as well and jumped to her feet. "Those two Persona users! They're still stuck in the Dark Hour!" She gasped again and turned to the other girl. "Yukari! The Dark Hour came back last night!"

"It wasn't a dream, then," Yukari said, her voice thick with trepidation. "That means the Shadows really _are _back, and those two are trapped in the Dark Hour with them." She shook her head, collapsing into his old desk chair with a groan. "Jeez . . . we've been fighting for a year and a half and saved the world twice already. It's like it's never gonna end. What do we do?"

"Um, well," Fuuka said, looking out the window at the city morning. "We should probably tell the rest of the gang if they haven't already noticed. Right now, though, we should probably get going to school. It's already a quarter past seven, and we haven't made it back to our dorm yet."

"Ugh. School. Crap. These catastrophes always pick the worst time to crop up." She stood and grabbed her bow off the bed, and they locked the door behind them as they hurried back across town. It seemed that the sudden appearance of their old life was going to make being on time for their new lives a chore once again.

* * *

Aigis stood at the front gate of Gekkoukan High School, scanning the faces of the passing students and worrying silently to herself. She didn't notice her companion until he spoke.

"Yo, Ai-chan," Junpei said, watching her stare down the road. "What's up? Ya look worried about something."

"Yukari-san didn't come back last night," Aigis answered, still scanning the students that walked up to the gate. "She went back to the old dorm to look for something. I haven't seen her since."

"That's weird," said Junpei. "Wonder how she planned on getting in the first place."

"She has a spare key that Mitsuru-san gave her."

"What?" Junpei asked, taken aback. "Hey, why didn't I get one? That's sexism!"

"Aigis, Junpei!" Yukari called, running up to the gate with Fuuka trailing close behind. She skidded to a stop in front of her roommate, bending over her knees and trying to catch her breath. "We have a problem," she panted.

"Damn right, we do," Junpei interjected. "Why do you guys get a spare dorm key and I don't?"

"Huh?" she asked, momentarily distracted. "Because everyone but you lives in the girls' dorm, so it makes more sense to leave the key with one of us."

"But . . . but that's not fair!" He hung his head, then immediately looked back up. "Wait, I'm not the only one! What about Akihiko-senpai, or Ken, or—"

"Akihiko-senpai's in college, and Ken's still in elementary school. And Koro-chan is . . . a dog," she argued. "Me, Aigis, and Fuuka all live in the same place. And why does it even matter?" she added. "This isn't what we need to talk about! The Dark Hour's back!"

"Eh?" asked Junpei. "Since when?"

"Last night," Fuuka answered. "We fell asleep at the old dorm and woke up in the Dark Hour. Somehow, it came back again!"

"But, I was awake at midnight last night waiting for you two to return," said Aigis. "Nothing happened. The time went directly from 12:00 to 12:01."

"What?" Fuuka asked in disbelief. She and Yukari looked at each other in confusion, an expression that was quickly becoming familiar with both of them.

"Yeah, I was up too," Junpei added. "I didn't see nothin' outta the ordinary."

"Well . . . maybe you transmogrified?" Yukari speculated. "I mean, we've been out of the fighting mood for a while now. Maybe it just passed you by?"

"That's not possible for me, though," Aigis argued. "My body is inorganic. Whether I still have a Persona or not, the Dark Hour wouldn't just pass me by. And my design ensures that I don't simply switch off as well."

"And that doesn't explain why it sucked you two in either," said Junpei. "It was prob'ly just a dream."

"But . . . that's—" Yukari started. She was interrupted by a tolling bell.

"Aw crap!" said Junpei as the student flow picked up speed, kids in uniform rushing by towards the main building.

"Alright, we'll pick this up later," said Yukari, and the four of them joined the rush.

* * *

"So," said Junpei, standing up and stretching, "still worried about that Dark Hour thing, Yuka-tan?"

Yukari sat at her desk, staring thoughtfully at her cell phone. Morning classes had let out for lunch, but she was too worried to go eat. "It wasn't a dream," she said, half to herself. "Fuuka was there with me. We have the same memories of what happened. It was too real . . ." She sighed, then flipped her phone open and punched a speed dial button. "I'm calling Senpai. Whatever's happening, we need to do something."

Junpei rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "If you're that sure . . ."

"I am," she said, holding the phone to her ear. "Come with me after school and I'll prove it to you," she added as the line rang. "Aigis too."

"This is Mitsuru," the voice on the other end of the line cut in.

"Senpai? Hi, it's me."

"Oh, Yukari. I didn't check the number. What can I do for you?"

"Um . . . actually," Yukari hesitated, "do you have any free time this afternoon? I, uh . . . we need to talk. All of us."

"All of us? What's the matter?"

"Eh . . . how late were you awake last night?"

"Hm? Around one or so, I suppose. Why?"

"Did you notice anything . . . strange? At all?"

"Not that I remember. Yukari," the older girl said, sounding worried, "what are you trying to tell me?"

Yukari sighed. "It'd be easier if we all got together again. I don't have time to explain everything right now."

"I see. I can get in touch with Akihiko, but we'll have to pick Amada up ourselves. And I can't guarantee either of them will have the time available."

"That's fine. I just wanna be on the safe side. Thanks, Senpai."

"Shall we meet in the usual spot?"

"The usual spot?" Yukari repeated, looking up at Junpei. He shrugged.

"The old lounge," Mitsuru clarified. "You still have the spare key, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah. I do. But is it alright for us to just go in whenever like that?"

"I don't see why not. No one else is currently living there. Unless, of course, you have ethical objections."

"Oh, no, not at all. The lounge it is. See you then." She hung up and sat back. "Well, that's good to know," she said to herself.

"We're getting together at the old dorm?" Junpei asked. "That'll be déjà vu-y. I'm starting to feel like my life is a sequel."

"'Déjà vu-y?'" Yukari repeated. "Ugh. Anyway, first you and Aigis are coming with me and Fuuka to Naganaki Shrine."

"Why for?" he asked. "What's at the shrine?"

"With any luck, proof we weren't dreaming." She flipped her phone closed and pocketed it, then got up and walked to the classroom door. "Meet us at the front gate after school," she said. "I wanna hurry up and get to the bottom of this." She opened the door and walked away down the hall.

"Yes, ma'am," Junpei said, saluting the closed door with a grin. "Sounds like it's gonna be another tough case for . . . Junpei Iori, Ace Detective."

* * *

The four of them met by the school's front gate and walked together back to Port Island Station, where the monorail took them across the river to the station in Iwatodai. From there, it was only a short walk to Naganaki shrine.

"So what are we lookin' for?" Junpei asked as they ascended the shrine steps. "I don't see nothin' outta the ordinary."

"Really?" said Yukari. "Then tell me what could've done that." She turned and pointed in the direction of the playground.

The other three turned their heads to follow her finger. "Um . . ." said Junpei, rubbing the back of his neck. "If I had to guess, I'd say the guys who put this place together. But that playground's been here longer than I have."

"What? No!" Yukari argued. "Not the playground equipment, Stupei! I mean the big hole ripped in the—" She stopped as she turned to look herself, her eyes going straight to the jungle gym.

It was the same green cube it had always been, wholly intact and completely without ripped and twisted metal bars jutting out at all angles at the top.

"I repeat," Junpei repeated, "I don't see nothin' outta the ordinary here. And quit callin' me Stupei!" he added testily.

"But . . . how?" Yukari asked the shrine in general, ignoring him. "The jungle gym . . . it was ripped apart last night! I saw it with my own eyes! They couldn't have fixed it that fast!"

"Even if they did, it would have had to draw someone's attention," Fuuka added, staring at the unbroken equipment. "We would've heard something at school, or there would be signs here, or . . . or . . ."

"Or it was a dream?" Junpei supplied. He jumped back when Yukari spun around and glared daggers at him. "What?" he said defensively. "It coulda been, that's all I'm sayin' . . ."

"It wasn't," Yukari said resolutely. "I know it wasn't. It's just . . . really weird, that's all."

Fuuka nodded. "I think so too. It couldn't have been just a dream."

"I believe you," said Aigis. "Stranger things have happened before. Shadows distort time and space, so something like this isn't outside their ability."

"Maybe time reset itself after the Dark Hour?" Junpei hazarded. "Like the Dark Hour and the Abyss of Time joined forces or something." He gasped, eyes wide at his own words. "Oh shit! I take it back! I wouldn't wanna mess with something like that!"

Yukari sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, let's get going. We're meeting our senpai at the old dorm. Whatever's going on, we should decide what to do together."

"As a team!" Junpei added, pumping his fist. "Battling the forces of evil together once again! Just like the Super Buds!" His grin was met with three blank stares. "What?"

"Just . . . no," said Yukari. She shook her head and headed back down the stairs, Aigis and Fuuka following her.

"You guys have no taste in quality television!" Junpei yelled after them. "Hey, wait up!" He took off down the steps as well, the four of them headed to the old SEES dorm.

* * *

"Koro-chan!" Fuuka called, running up to the dorm stoop. The dog was sitting on the top step wagging his tail, as if waiting for something. He barked excitedly and ducked his head, offering it to Fuuka for petting.

"Hey there, boy!" Yukari said, joining in and rubbing his back. "We didn't see you at the shrine. You must've been out on your walk, huh?"

"Arf arf!" barked Koromaru, turning to look at Yukari.

"He says, 'I was waiting for all of you,'" Aigis translated.

"Aigis?" Fuuka looked back at the blonde girl quizzically. "I thought you said you weren't able to understand him anymore."

"I wasn't able to back in March," she said, shaking her head. "But Metis could. I guess I reclaimed that part of myself when I reclaimed Metis." She smiled softly. "No matter how human I become, part of me will always be a machine. Even my mind cannot break completely free from the truth of my creation. As such, I will always have at least a few advantages or disadvantages over actual humans."

"Aigis . . ." Yukari stopped her petting, looking sadly at her roommate.

Aigis shook her head again, still smiling. "I'm not upset about it, if that's what you're worried about. I am who I am and what I am—partly by my own choice, and partly by fate. I can accept this. It's the same for all of us, after all."

"I guess you're right," said Fuuka with a thoughtful smile.

"Man, Ai-chan," Junpei said with a grin. "You should write a self-help book or something."

"Arf!" Koromaru ran past them down the stairs and turned toward the street, still barking. The rest of them looked up in time to see an expensive black car roll up in front of the dorm and stop.

When the back door opened, Akihiko was the first one out. "Y'know, you all could've waited inside," he said, looking at the group. "Or did you forget your key?"

"Nah, we just got here," said Junpei. "'Sup, Senpai? How's college life treatin' ya?"

"Ugh . . ." He grimaced as he closed the car door. "Mid-terms are even more stressful than they were in high school. Whatever's going on here, I'm glad for the break."

"Sounds harsh," Junpei said sympathetically. "But look on the bright side—you're surrounded by hot college babes all the time now, right?"

"Hot college babes?" his senpai repeated. "Is that all you ever think about, Junpei? I don't even know any hot college—"

"Akihiko," a woman's voice interrupted, as Mitsuru walked around the back of the car to the rest of them. "Choose your words wisely."

"Tch. You know that's not what he meant," Akihiko argued.

"What's the difference?" a boy's voice asked behind her. Ken walked around to the front to join everyone else.

"Ken-kun, you made it!" Yukari said happily.

Ken smiled and nodded. "Kirijo-senpai picked us up. I wasn't doing anything important, and I wanted to see everyone again."

"You still haven't told us what's up," Akihiko added, looking at Yukari.

"Yeah, sorry," she said. "It's kinda complicated. You might not believe us anyway . . ." She looked at Mitsuru hesitantly.

The older girl nodded. "Well, shall we go in?"

* * *

The lounge was exactly how they had all left it six months ago and, more recently, how Fuuka and Yukari had left it last night. They took a minute to take in the familiar setting before settling around the coffee table in their usual spots.

"Alright," said Mitsuru, falling easily back into command. "I'm free for the rest of the day, and I'm sure none of us would mind a casual get together to catch up on things, but we should get the important business out of the way first. Yukari," she said, turning to her former dorm mate, "why don't you start at the beginning and explain what it is that's weighing so heavily on your mind?"

"Thanks," Yukari said, turning to the rest of the group. "Long story short, me and Fuuka came back here last night. I'd realized I'd left something here, and I didn't think anyone would mind if I came and got it. But while we were here, we fell asleep, and we woke up in the Dark Hour."

"What?!" Akihiko interrupted. Ken and Mitsuru's faces reflected his surprise. "What do you mean the Dark Hour?! We crushed that thing back in January!"

"I know," Yukari said. "And yeah, up until last night I'd never seen it since then. I thought it was a dream at first, but Fuuka was there with me, and she remembers everything I do."

"Tartarus was gone, and I couldn't sense the mass of Shadows that I used to feel inside of it," Fuuka added. "But the sky looked the same, and there were blood and coffins littering the streets. And I could sense a few stray Shadows wandering the city." She shook her head. "It felt exactly the same as the Dark Hour before Nyx was sealed. It was much too vivid to be just a dream."

"How can that be?" Ken asked. "Nyx and those Shadows were the whole reason the Dark Hour existed in the first place. How could it come back all of a sudden without them, unless . . ." He trailed off, his eyes wide.

"Unless, somehow, Nyx were set free again," Mitsuru finished for him. The entire room fell into a dread silence.

"So . . . maybe we never really win for good," Junpei said thoughtfully. "Maybe we really are, like, superheroes, and the bad guys come back every week so we have to beat 'em down again. Maybe our lives are like a big videogame, or a Sunday morning cartoon show, or something."

"Like Phoenix Ranger Featherman R," Ken added helpfully. "I mean, not that I'd know," he added hastily as they all turned to look at him, "but I heard that's generally how that show goes. I'm too old for that kinda stuff, though . . ."

Yukari shook her head. "I don't think that's what's happened," she said. "We told Aigis and Junpei about it this morning, but they said they were both awake at midnight and nothing happened to them. We were the only two to enter the Dark Hour."

"Well . . ." Fuuka added, looking at the girl.

"Oh, that's right!" Yukari added. "I almost forgot. We met two other Persona users while we were there and had to help them fight off a Shadow."

This time everyone but Fuuka stared at her in surprise. "Say what now?" said Junpei. "You didn't tell us that part."

"You kept distracting me complaining about why you didn't have a spare key," Yukari reminded him.

"They were a couple, a boy and a girl," Fuuka went on. "They called themselves Tetsu and Itsu. They said they'd been trapped in the Dark Hour for a while and couldn't remember their real lives anymore. And they had Evokers."

"Wait, aren't Evokers Kirijo's technology?" Akihiko asked.

"Yes," Mitsuru confirmed. "The Kirijo group was responsible for the accident that created the Dark Hour and Tartarus in the first place. Evokers were developed after the power of Persona was discovered to enable Persona users who weren't anti-Shadow automatons to effectively combat Shadows."

"Which means this couple must have some connection to the Kirijo Group," Aigis concluded.

"That, or they somehow picked them up through other means," Mitsuru said with a nod.

"But the bigger question is how it is they're stuck in the Dark Hour when it shouldn't exist anymore," said Yukari. "Or for that matter, why we were suddenly pulled in if it's been happening in secret or something."

"This is all really confusing . . ." Ken muttered.

"Tell us how you entered the Dark Hour, exactly," said Mitsuru. "Where were you and what were you doing when you fell asleep?"

Fuuka and Yukari looked at each other nervously. "Well, we were looking for my bow," the latter answered. "The one I got from Shinshoudo Antiques. I realized I'd left it here after we locked the dorm up in April." She looked at the floor in front of her feet, as if embarrassed. "We found it in his old room. I'd gone to say goodbye after the Desert of Doors incident, and I guess I left it there. We ended up falling asleep in his old bed."

"Come to think of it," Fuuka added, "when the Dark Hour ended, we were still at Naganaki Shrine. But then suddenly we woke up back in his room again."

Silence blanketed the room once more as everyone looked to each other, the same question in their eyes. "Figures," Akihiko finally said. "Something strange and incredible happens again, and he's right at the center of things."

"Maybe," Mitsuru said tentatively. "But it might also just be a coincidence. However . . . something strange _is _undeniably going on here, and the responsibility falls to us to find out what. Before we can act, though, we need more information on our circumstances." She stood, crossing her arms over her chest decisively. "I think our first course of action should be for all of us to meet with these new Persona users. They may have more insight into the situation than we have, and at any rate, their story promises to be interesting."

"'Kay," Junpei said, "but how do we do that? Fuuka and Yuka-tan were the only ones who could get into the Dark Hour last night, and even that seemed to be a coincidence."

"Isn't it obvious, Iori?" the older woman said with a smile. "We have to replicate the conditions they were in when they entered the Dark Hour. All of us."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow at her. "Wait . . . you don't mean . . ."

Mitsuru nodded. "We're going to have a sleepover."

"Tch . . ."


	5. Chapter 4: The Show that Never Ends

A/N (more of an excuse this time): This chapter took longer to get up than I'd like. Part of that was due to the fact that the site wouldn't let me log in for upwards of three days or so, but another part is due to the fact that the past few weeks have been as stressful as . . . as something really stressful. Bah, I can't even think up a decent metaphor anymore.

I think I'm caught up on everything I was behind on now, though, and with any luck, it should stay that way. I was starting to feel guilty for not writing a damn thing all week.

The song is 'Karn Evil 9' by Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Lyrics referenced at LyricsDomain.

And for anyone who didn't get the memo last chapter, there's a poll on my profile that's designed to give you the readers some slight measure of control over who pops up to fill in the dialogue of the less-crucial parts of the story. Exercise your democratic rights and vote on it, or something. But first, read this new thing.

* * *

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends  
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside  
There behind a glass there's a real blade of grass  
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along

Come inside, the show's about to start  
Guaranteed to blow your head apart  
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth  
The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth.

You've got to see the show!  
It's a dynamo!  
You've got to see the show!  
It's rock and roll!

Right before your eyes we pull laughter from the skies  
And he laughs until he cries, then he dies, then he dies

Come inside the shows about to start  
Guaranteed to blow your head apart

You gotta see the show!  
It's a dynamo!  
You gotta see the show!  
It's rock and roll!

—Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

* * *

"So, do we all have to fall asleep by midnight, or . . ." Ken trailed off, looking curiously between his senpai.

They were all crowded into the empty bedroom at the end of the second-floor hallway. The time was 11:45 pm. At the moment, everyone was just standing around, waiting.

"We can't be sure what it is exactly that gets us in without some experimenting," Mitsuru said. She sat in the only chair at the desk, arms and legs crossed. Her expression was patient and serious as always. "It seems being asleep in this room at midnight is sufficient enough, while being awake elsewhere in the city is not. Any middle combination is still sketchy. If we can enter the Dark Hour tonight, we'll question this couple about it and see if they know any details."

"This is definitely against dorm regulations," said Junpei, looking around the room. Aigis stood leaning against the wall in the corner with her eyes closed, the only one among them who could manually power down and fall asleep at will. Koromaru lay curled around her legs on the floor, dog-napping. Fuuka, Yukari, and Ken were sitting on the bed, and Mitsuru had claimed the desk chair, leaving Junpei and Akihiko standing in the middle of the floor. "I feel like we should have a pillow fight while we wait or something."

"This is an important mission, Junpei," Yukari said with a sigh. "Don't try and make it perverted."

"How was that perverted?" he asked. "Lighten up, Yuka-tan."

"We only have one pillow anyway," Ken pointed out.

Yukari looked at said pillow, a nostalgic look passing her face. Then she glared at Junpei. "We're not fighting with his pillow," she said matter-of-factly.

"I was joking!" Junpei insisted. "Geez . . . Anyway," he added, "we got, what, five minutes 'til midnight, right? Should we all try and conk out, or are we just gonna wait and hope it sucks us in as-is?"

"Doesn't look like any of us are tired enough to make it," Akihiko said. "We really don't have any other choice, do we?"

"It would seem not," said Mitsuru. She looked at her watch briefly and leaned back in the chair. "One minute and counting," she announced.

"I hope this works," Fuuka worried. "If it was just a fluke when it happened the first time, then how are we ever going to get back to help—"

Midnight struck. Fuuka, Yukari, and Ken all fell back onto the bed in unison. Mitsuru went slack in her chair. Junpei and Akihiko slumped to the floor in crumpled heaps.

Every one of them but Aigis and Koromaru fell asleep at exactly the same moment.

* * *

Aigis's internal clock registered sixty seconds past midnight and triggered her automatic power-saving feature to shut off. Circuit boards lit up, and motors unlocked and started to spin. The mechanical maiden opened her eyes and straightened up, then quickly surveyed her surroundings.

Beneath her, Koromaru stirred and groggily lifted his head. He yawned, then stood and shook off the remnants of sleep.

"It's as Yukari said," Aigis noted, going to the window. A completely powerless view of Iwatodai greeted her, lit only by the glare of the moon, dark and hazy around the edges. The Dark Hour, sans Tartarus, in all its eerie glory.

"Arf!" Koromaru jumped up on top of the desk and stared out with her, dropping low and growling at the night outside.

"Yes, I sense them too," Aigis said. "There are Shadows outside. Honestly, I'm surprised at how little this surprises me."

"Arf arf!" the dog barked, right into Mitsuru's ear.

She jumped, instantly awake, and stood quickly from the chair, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting an attack.

Koromaru sat back on his haunches and whined. "He says he's sorry," Aigis translated, as the rest of the students began to slowly come to.

Mitsuru looked back at the dog, then cleared her throat and crossed her arms, regaining her composure. "Yes, well . . . Um . . ." Her attention was drawn to the window, and she gazed outward for a few moments before turning back to the room in general as everyone stretched and sat up. "At any rate, it seems we're all alert and accounted for. Moreover, we seem to be in familiar territory."

Everyone was alert at that, and all but Fuuka and Yukari clustered around the window. "Holy shit," Junpei muttered. "No way!"

Mitsuru nodded. "The Dark Hour. Or what's left of it, at any rate."

"_Now _do you believe us, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"Dude, this is friggin' crazy!" Junpei continued to mutter. "We thrashed this thing! Why doesn't it roll over and die already?"

"Something's different though," Aigis said, turning to the group. "Can anyone else feel this? This sense of emptiness?"

"I feel it too," Fuuka said, closing her eyes. "This feels like the Dark Hour, but something is missing. This world . . . it feels somehow lighter than before, like some pressure we hadn't noticed is gone."

"Tartarus, maybe?" Yukari speculated. "It's still gone. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

"Well we're not gonna find out anything standing here looking at each other," Akihiko said, heading for the door. He opened it and stepped into the hallway. "There's only ever been one way to find out what's going on. We need to get back into the game."

"Akihiko—" Mitsuru started.

"I know, this isn't a game," he interrupted her. "Can't blame me for being a little excited, though."

Mitsuru looked back to the window, then turned to the rest of squad. "Alright," she said decisively, "let's head into town and see what we can find out. We should do our best to avoid confrontations with Shadows as none of us brought any weaponry."

"I did," Junpei volunteered, raising his hand. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "What?" he asked. "The plan was to find the Dark Hour again, right? So I brought it on the off-chance it worked and stashed it in my old room just in case."

"You carried a katana from the boy's dorm to here in broad daylight?" Yukari asked skeptically. "How did nobody notice that?"

He shrugged. "How did we all do it before?" he asked. "I just wrapped it up and avoided the cops."

"Impressive forethought, Iori," Mitsuru said, smiling. "_Très bien."_

Junpei grinned. "Heh, thanks Senpai. I think."

"And I always have both my weapons on me at all times," said Akihiko, holding up his hands with a smirk. He quickly jabbed the air in front of him, which whistled audibly around his fists.

"My combat programs and battle functions are still intact," Aigis added, holding up her own hands. They both spun once quickly at the wrist in opposite directions, and the end digit on each of her fingers retracted to reveal ten individual gun barrels.

"Very well," Mitsuru amended. "I still don't want to actively seek out Shadows, but if attacked, Aigis, Akihiko, and Iori will engage the enemy. Aigis?" she asked the girl. "Do you still have his power?"

All eyes turned on the robot, who looked past them out the window at the moon. ". . . I can't be certain until I have to call on it," she said quietly. "I haven't given it any thought since April. But . . ." She looked at her senpai and nodded. "Currently, I'm aware of two active Personas in my possession. The first is that which was assigned to me when I was built and evolved along with my heart. Athena. The other . . . is Orpheus. Master of strings . . ."

There was another pregnant silence. Aigis and Yukari both turned to look nostalgically at the room's empty bed.

"I see," said Mitsuru. "And there are no others?"

"Not to my knowledge," Aigis answered. "I don't know whether or not I still have the power of the wild card. I'm not sure if I can hold any more."

"Alright," Mitsuru said with a nod. "I'm sure there will be opportunity to test that out. Regardless, I'd like you to take command again, since you already have previous leadership experience. Any objections?"

No one spoke, though Yukari looked pointedly at Junpei. He shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me," he said. "You already know that."

"Very well," Mitsuru said decisively. "Then since it appears that we're all ready, let's head out."

* * *

They headed to the lounge and gathered around the front door, where Mitsuru turned back to the group. "We're not sure what exactly to expect, or what other changes may have occurred," she reminded them. "Our first objective is to find these other two Persona-users and see what they know. Do you know where they're likely to be?" she asked Yukari and Fuuka.

"We left them at Naganaki Shrine last night," Fuuka answered. "It's a stretch, but they may still be in that area."

"Alright, we'll head there first," she said with a nod, then turned and opened the door.

"Welcome back," said Itsu, sitting with Tetsu on the dorm steps. They both stood when the door opened. "Oh, there's more of you this time," she added, the two of them scanning the group.

"That was easy," said Ken. "Now what?"

"Tetsu and Itsu, I presume?" asked Mitsuru. "Our friends told us about you. We were just on our way to find you two."

"We've been waiting," said Tetsu. "We'd hoped you would find your way back here, but we weren't expecting you so soon. You must be pretty well organized."

"We've had practice," said Akihiko.

"Whatever the case, we're glad we found you," said Mitsuru. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. You've already met Takeba and Yamagishi. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo, and these are our comrades."

"Akihiko Sanada," Akihiko said simply. "Hey."

"Name's Junpei Iori," Junpei added with a grin. "'Sup?"

"And I'm Ken Amada," Ken said with a bow. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Aigis," said Aigis. "This is Koromaru." She looked down at the dog, who barked and wagged his tail.

The couple's gaze stopped on Koro-chan. "There's a dog in the Dark Hour?" Tetsu asked. "You don't mean that it can . . ."

"Koro-chan is a Persona-user too," Fuuka answered, nodding.

Tetsu and Itsu still stared wide-eyed at the animal. "How?" Itsu asked.

"He's just a good dog," Akihiko explained with a smile. "Aren't you, boy?"

"Arf!" Koromaru barked, tail still wagging.

"Would you like to come inside?" Mitsuru asked the two. "We have some things we'd like to discuss with you. We need to know what's going on before we can offer any assistance, and any information you have could be useful."

The couple looked at each other. "Actually," Itsu said slowly, "if you don't mind, we'd like you to help us with something first. It's not a big deal, but . . . well, we've tried, and we can't do it on our own."

"What do you mean?" asked Mitsuru.

"Well, it's nothing too major, but—"

There was a deafening roar near by that surprised them all. They ran down the steps and looked up the street in time to see a ten-foot minotaur stomp around the corner, chains rattling as it tossed its head impatiently. Three arrow shafts jutted out from its shoulder and halfway up its leg and chest.

"Yeah, that," Tetsu finished for her, as the Shadow turned to look at them. "The damn thing just won't die." He and Itsu bowed politely to the rest of the group as the monster roared again and lowered its head, charging down the empty street at them, the ground shaking under the force of its hooves. "We tried losing it, but it keeps tracking us down again. If you'd please . . ?"

"Heh, you don't waste any time," Akihiko said, running out in front of them. He bent his knees and brought his fists up in front of him, slipping naturally into his boxing stance. Aigis ran up next to him, and there was a whir and a click as her hands spun, her fingers retracting into gun barrels.

"Iori, hurry into the dorm and get your weapon!" Mitsuru commanded, the rest of the group falling back. "Yamagishi, get clear and get ready to lend support! Everyone else, prepare for battle!"


	6. Chapter 5: Neon Knights

A/N (easing you into the awesome): Before we begin, I'd like to retract my earlier statement about updating every Sunday or so and replace it with the following statement of "I'll try and update at least once a week, if I can find the time, on whatever randomly given day it happens to be at the moment." This new policy should prove far more accurate.

Anywho, not much else to say. We're still in the first act, setting up mysteries and loose threads to come back to later, so don't start holding your breath for answers just yet. This is turning into a pretty big project, at least compared to other P3 fanfics I've read on here. We're looking at about a dozen or so chapters, minimum. Possibly twice that. I've got a lot of ideas and a lot of scenes I want to cram in here, and they're all going to need room to breathe. It's almost a shame these aren't my original characters, because at around six pages a pop, this is going to turn into a novella-length story before everything's done and over with.

_Almost_ a shame. I still love these guys; they're the whole reason I got started on this story in the first place. I can write a book for the SEES gang, easy.

The song is 'Neon Knights' by Black Sabbath (the Ronnie James Dio version of Sabbath). Lyrics referenced at DarkLyrics. As always, read, enjoy, review, and check out my character poll. But mostly read and enjoy. See you next week, kids (with any luck).

* * *

Oh no, here it comes again  
Can't remember when we came so close to love before  
Hold on, good things never last  
Nothing's in the past, it always seems to come again  
Again and again, again and again

Cry out to legions of the brave  
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street  
Ride out, protectors of the realm  
Captains at the helm, sail across the sea of lights

Circles and rings, dragons and kings  
Weaving a charm and a spell  
Blessed by the night, holy and bright  
Called by the toll of the bell

Bloodied angels fast descending  
Moving on a never-bending light  
Phantom figures free forever  
Out of shadows, shining ever-bright  
Neon Knights!  
Neon Knights!  
All right!

Cry out to legions of the brave  
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street  
Ride out, protectors of the realm  
Captains at the helm, sail across the sea of lights  
Again and again, again and again and again

Neon Knights!  
Neon Knights!  
All right!

—Neon Knights by Black Sabbath

* * *

The massive Shadow skidded to a stop and shook its horned head, rattling the chains that ran from its collar to the shackles on its wrists. Aigis and Akihiko rushed up to meet it, and for a minute, the two sides stood staring each other down, sizing up their respective enemy.

_This will be a tough battle, _Fuuka's voice informed them. _It's resistant to all physical attacks, and darkness is its only weakness. It's still injured from last night, so it's not fighting at full strength, but don't take it lightly._

"Got it," said Akihiko, rolling his shoulders. "Ready, leader?"

Aigis nodded. "Best to end this quickly."

"That's what I like to hear," he said, then ran up to the beast and leapt, landing a solid one-two punch on its hairy stomach.

The monster barely flinched. It swatted at him as he landed, just missing him as he jumped to the side, parrying the blow and circling around to the Shadow's left.

The minotaur growled, then suddenly roared outright as Aigis lifted a hand and fired five bullets in rapid succession at the beast. She sidestepped slowly around to its right, raising her other hand and keeping the monster under a steady hail of gunfire until it lunged at her, driving its fist into the pavement where she stood—or where she had stood mere seconds earlier before diving back out of the way. The shock of the blow hadn't even died down before Akihiko came around from the other direction and leaped onto the Shadow's fist, before kicking off and upper cutting it square in the chin.

The monster staggered back, off balance, as Akihiko landed and rolled out of the way. Behind him, Aigis spread her arms to the air as the turbines on either side of her head clicked on and whirred rapidly, sending the Papillon Heart—her emotional engine and source of her psyche—into overdrive. "Athena!" she yelled, blue light swirling up around her. There was no gunshot, but the familiar sound of breaking glass still echoed throughout the street. Above her, her Persona materialized floating in the air; the charging form of a woman clad in a white robe and golden helmet. She was encircled by a shield with a glowing red face, and held a spear thrust out in front of her.

Unlike Yukari's Persona, Athena did not idly hover above her possessor's head; as soon as she appeared she was flying through the air toward the Shadow, her lance striking it square in the neck. It didn't pierce the monster's body, but it drove it back against the dorm's outer wall, which shuddered under the blow. Athena then vanished as quickly as she came, and the minotaur slumped to its knees on the ground.

"I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko said enthusiastically, looking anxiously at the robot. Her eyes still on the beast, she nodded. "Okay!" he yelled. "Now!"

They both rushed the prone Shadow, fists and bullets flying in an all-out attack that kept the monster flailing on the ground, unable to rise.

Safely down the block with the rest of the group, Tetsu and Itsu stared on in awe. "That's . . . thoroughly impressive," the boy mumbled.

"Hell yeah, it is!" Junpei cried, leaping off the dorm stoop onto the street. "We're a well-oiled ass-kickin' machine!" He ran up in front of the group, halfway between them and the shadow, carrying a katana easily as long as he was tall. It was an impressive enough weapon, but he held it in front of him like a baseball bat, which subtracted a bit from its overall menace.

_Junpei-kun, be careful, _Fuuka warned him. _Slash attacks won't do much damage._

"Gotcha," he said, swinging his sword through the air once for good measure. "Don't worry, the Great Junpei has a plan of epic proportions!"

_He does? Uh, you do?_

"If Senpai and Ai-chan don't kill it first," he added, his enthusiasm deflating as he watched the Shadow being pummeled.

Aigis and Akihiko stepped back from the massive, still form. "Is that it?" the latter asked, shaking out his hands.

Aigis shook her head, her eyes trained on the beast. "It's still alive," she cautioned. Sure enough, no sooner had she spoken than the monster slowly pushed itself to its knees, then rose shakily to its feet. It leaked blood from a smattering of shallow wounds, which pooled on the ground beneath it and spread slowly outward, but none of its new injuries looked critical. It backed up this observation by throwing back its massive head and roaring loud enough to vibrate the ground.

"Damn, we couldn't finish it off," Akihiko muttered, bringing his fists back up and stepping back slowly.

"Sweet," Junpei yelled behind them, "my turn!" There was a gunshot, a shattering of glass, and the air directly in front of the minotaur exploded in a ball of inexplicable flame, sending the monster flying back across the street. It bounced off the pavement before skidding to a halt on its back, its hairy body consumed by fire. Moments later the whole thing burst outward in a cloud of red-tinted blackness that gurgled as it dissipated, leaving only a charred patch of broken road.

Junpei stood between the two combatants and the rest of the group, a smoking gun barrel against his head and a wide grin on his face. Above him floated his Persona, a man-shaped figure clad all in red, with wings of gold and steel strung between its hands and legs and protruding from its head and shoulders. Its face, if it had one, was hidden beneath a tall helmet reminiscent of a bird's head, a ruby red stone clutched in its beak. Trismegistus.

"Who's the man?!" Junpei demanded as his Persona faded out of existence. He pocketed his Evoker and pumped the fist that didn't hold his immense sword.

"_That_ was your plan of epic proportions?" Yukari asked. "All you did was cast a spell on it."

"It worked, didn't it?" he argued, turning back to the group. "And my kill count's already one higher than any of the rest of you." He grinned and swung his katana at the air again, triumphant.

"_C'est magnifique,_" said Mitsuru with a smile. "Good job, everyone. Not bad for having been out of practice since April, if I may say so." She turned to the couple. "Any other hangers-on you'd like dealt with before we move on?"

Tetsu and Itsu looked at each other. "Pretty much every Shadow in the city is after us, if you're interested," Tetsu informed them. "No more humans stumble into this place by accident, so we're pretty much their only meal ticket other than cannibalism."

"The stronger Shadows have more or less eaten all the weaker ones by now," Itsu added. "All the ones left have been getting more and more vicious as time goes on. That minotaur wasn't the first one to actively hunt us down, but that's the longest any of them have kept it up at a time."

Mitsuru nodded. "It would be prudent to put off further battles until all of us are better prepared. I'm sure if they're as persistent as you claim, we'll be seeing them sooner or later anyway." She walked back up the dormitory steps, then turned to everyone else. "Shall we?"

* * *

"Alright, let's start at the beginning," Mitsuru said as they all settled once more around the lounge, this time with the couple in tow. "First off, you should tell us about yourselves, and how long you've been trapped here."

On the couch, Tetsu and Itsu shared a worried look. "There isn't much we can tell," Itsu said. "We're both Persona-users. We assume we lived in this city before getting trapped here. And we've been here for a long time."

"Maybe a few months in the real world, if every hour here is a day for you," Tetsu added. "But time has long since lost meaning. As we said before, the changing in position of those who've been transmogrified is the only indication that time moves at all."

"Damn, dude," said Junpei, shaking his head. "Months on end in the Dark Hour. I dunno if I could make it."

"It's hard," Tetsu agreed, "if you lose sight of what keeps you going." His hand found Itsu's, and they locked tightly. "But we both made a vow shortly after waking up here. We won't give up, no matter what. We want to live whatever the cost."

"Heh. We can relate to that sentiment," said Akihiko.

"This is a strange case," Mitsuru said. "The Dark Hour's amnesiac effect is usually reserved for those without the potential who stumble through without being preyed on. I've never heard of a case where an active Persona-user loses their memory."

"Heard of a case?" Itsu repeated, looking quizzically at the redhead. "You mean someone actually documents these kinds of things?"

Mitsuru nodded. "The Kirijo Group keeps extensive files on all Shadow-related data, including behavioral records of individual cases when applicable. There have been studies on the Dark Hour since the day it first came into being."

"The Kirijo Group?" Tetsu asked. "Wait . . . Kirijo . . ." He and Itsu stared thoughtfully at each other, as if sharing a thought.

"Do you know about Kirijo?" Fuuka asked. "Those Evokers you have are the Group's technology. I meant to ask you about that earlier."

They looked up at the girl, then pulled the gun-shaped devices from their pockets and regarded them thoughtfully. "We don't know where these came from," Itsu explained. "They were with us when we woke up, and we knew what they did and how to use them the same as we knew about Shadows and the Dark Hour. We just retained the knowledge from whatever else we forgot."

"Still, Kirijo . . ." Tetsu looked to Mitsuru, his face masked in confusion. "You said your name was Kirijo, right? It rings a bell. Maybe we've only heard of it before in the life we forgot, but . . ." He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "No, it's gone now. I thought I was on the verge of a memory." He looked up at Itsu with a question in his eyes.

She shook her head. "I get the feeling, but I can't place it."

The rest of the group shared glances between one another. "Honestly," said Mitsuru, "I wouldn't be surprised if you two had some connection to Kirijo. It was the company under my grandfather's guidance that started the whole mess with the Dark Hour and all the mysteries it's brought with it. Speaking of which," she added, "this time and place is markedly different from the Dark Hour we're used to. It doesn't come regularly under general circumstances, and the structure has changed somewhat. Tartarus is still missing, but the Shadows aren't. And the moon still shines like it did when it housed Nyx, but we know with absolute certainty that she is sealed away."

"That's right," said Tetsu. "You all were the ones to banish her, weren't you? I forgot, I wanted to thank you for what you've done if I ever met you. Thank you," he added belatedly, bowing his head. Itsu followed suit.

"Don't sweat it," Junpei said with a smile. "We did it for our own selfish reasons anyway. None of us were ready to roll over and die yet."

"Anyway, it's not us you should be thanking," Yukari added. "We only helped. The one who actually put her away isn't here, but you can thank him like you've been doing. By fighting to live." She looked around at her friends resolutely. "And we can all help ease his burden by sending the Dark Hour back where it belongs."

Mitsuru smiled and nodded in agreement. "It's in all of our interests to see you two out of here," she said to the couple. "Not just for your own sakes, but out of obligation to duty. Because we have the power to set things right, the responsibility to do so rests squarely on our shoulders. All of us." She glanced around the group as a whole. Everyone nodded in agreement except Koromaru, who barked eagerly. "We'll get you two out of the Dark Hour and send it and the Shadows away for good. But in order to do that, we'll need to know exactly what it is we're dealing with. We're going to need leads to get to the bottom of things, which means first, we need information. Anything at all that you know about the Dark Hour could be useful."

They both nodded. "We probably don't know much more than you all do," Itsu said. "Except . . ." She and Tetsu shared another apparently meaningful glance before she turned back to Mitsuru. "Tartarus is gone, you're right. That much is obvious. But wherever it's gone, it didn't just leave an empty space in its place. There's a . . . well . . ." The couple shared another glance.

"We don't know what it is or what it does," Tetsu added. "We found it when we were exploring the high school, sitting on top of the roof near one of the benches. It wouldn't have even been very noticeable in itself except . . . it has this kind of aura around it . . ."

"On the roof near the bench?" Ken repeated, looking at his senpai. "Isn't that where everyone met on Graduation Day? The same place where . . ." He trailed off, his eyes on Aigis.

She nodded. "The elements of this mystery are almost hauntingly familiar," she said quietly, then looked at the couple. "But, what is this thing you found?"

Tetsu and Itsu looked briefly at one another again. "It's probably best if we showed you," Itsu said, standing up. "Come on, we'll take you to Gekkoukan."


	7. Chapter 6: Gate of Babylon

A/N (please, hold your applause): This took _way _longer than I would've liked, but it's been out of my hands. Simply put, midterms suck - every class wanted a major project done by the same week (i.e., last week). I wrote half this chapter two weeks ago, then had to put off finishing it until yesterday. Surprisingly, working on a half-scrambled laptop doesn't expediate the process any.

That's water under the bridge now, though. Spring break is right around the corner, and I'm too poor and too geeky to go to Cancun, so I'm hoping for a short spree of rapid updates here soon. That, and some long-awaited vegging.

Also, I've realized upon further study of the battle animations that Yukari is actually putting the gun barrel to her forehead when she summons her Persona, and not her mouth as I've been referencing. However, I've already made the jokes, and I'm not anal retentive enough to feel any compulsion to change them, so I'm a just keep running with it. To anyone reading who _is _that anal: Sorry (but not really).

The song is 'Gates of Babylon' by Yngwie Malmsteen (pronounced 'EENG-vay MOLM-steen', I think . . . it's Swedish, I don't know). Lyrics referenced, once again, at DarkLyrics. This place is like a must-add resource site for metalheads, and I likes it. Read, etc. etc., you know the drill. And start checkin' back sooner for more frequent updates (or you could just favorite me, hint hint . . .)

* * *

Look away from the sea, I can take you anywhere  
Spend a vision with me, a chase with the wind  
Move closer to me, I can make you anyone  
I think you're ready to see the Gates to Babylon

The power of what has been before  
Rises to trap you within  
A magic carpet ride, a genie, maybe more  
A city of heavenly sin  
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay  
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away

Oh, Gates of Babylon!

You can see but you're blind, someone turned the sun around  
But you can see in your mind the Gates of Babylon

You're riding the endless caravan  
Bonded and sold as a slave  
A saber dance, removing all the veils  
Getting as good as you gave  
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay  
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away

Black Gates of Babylon!

The devil is me and I'm holding the key  
To the gates of sweet Hell, Babylon!

—Gates of Babylon by Yngwie Malmsteen

* * *

Gekkoukan High sat untouched by the Dark Hour—awash in the twilight illumination, yes, and covered intermittently in pools of un-drying blood, but still a recognizable high school. It was the first time any of them had seen it during the Dark Hour as a normal building obeying all the laws of physics.

Tetsu and Itsu led them around the back of the main building to an empty window frame, the glass pane lying nearby in a neat pile of shards. "Sorry about this," Tetsu said as they climbed through. "We break in here regularly to steal food from the student store. We remember to feel guilty each time, if that helps."

"I'm surprised no one's fixed this window yet, though," Itsu said as they clambered into the empty hallway. "It's probably been weeks in your time since we busted it. Maybe no one's noticed?"

"No one's noticed," Aigis confirmed. "Because this window isn't broken outside of the Dark Hour.

The couple turned their gaze to her. "Really?" Tetsu asked. "Huh. Well there's another oddity for everyone."

"The jungle gym too," Yukari added. "At the playground at Naganaki Shrine. That big Shadow ripped it to pieces the other night, but it was still intact when we took Junpei and Aigis there after school."

"Like the Abyss of Time?" Ken asked, looking between his senpai. "Everything outside the dorm kept resetting itself back in March. Maybe this new Dark Hour took on that same quality?"

Mitsuru stared at the ground between her feet in contemplation. "What occurs in the Dark Hour normally translates over into the waking world. The monorail incident was proof of that. Just because few or none witnessed the actual event shouldn't mean its effects go unnoticed as well."

"So the city's respawning itself," Junpei said dismissively. Then he grinned. "That means we get free reign to smash stuff up, right?"

"It's not just a matter of what's different," Mitsuru continued. "It's a matter of why. If the Dark Hour is occurring selectively, locking people and events within itself, and hiding even from us while it carries on without Nyx at the helm . . ." She looked around her group, her usual seriousness amplified by the situation. "Either this is a completely new phenomenon, or the Dark Hour is evolving past its previous limits. It may be changing even as we speak; we can't be sure of the rules anymore."

"Which means there's a chance we might not be able to get back out ourselves," Akihiko said, adding her unspoken thought. "We could come back one night and end up as trapped as you guys."

The whole group fell silent, digesting this new theory. Their faces all conveyed the same concern.

"I propose we leave at least one person on standby from this night forward," said Aigis. "Once we learn how to successively reenter the Dark Hour, we can send teams like we did for Tartarus and the Desert of Doors. That way if we should become trapped, we're not all locked in together with no more link to the real world."

"_Bien_, I agree," Mitsuru said with a nod. "We can't ignore this situation, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't also be as cautious as possible. Once we learn more about what we're dealing with, I'll see if I can't have Kirijo's research team conduct an outside study."

"Damn," Itsu added, watching the girl closely. "You've really been doing this a while, huh? You're all so thorough."

"Nah, just her," Junpei said with a shrug. "Senpai's like the anti-Shadow poster child."

"Well, I've been fighting them since I was eight . . ." Mitsuru said, looking back at the ground beneath her feet. She seemed almost embarrassed to admit the fact. With Tetsu and Itsu gawking at her over this new bit of information, it wasn't hard to sympathize.

"Anyway," Akihiko interjected, "you said there's something on the roof?"

"Right, yeah," Tetsu confirmed, head back in the game. "Sorry. Let's go."

* * *

The school roof was, for the most part, even more untouched by the Dark Hour's particularly creepy aesthetic than the rest of the building, devoid not only of transmogrified coffins, but also spotlessly clean of blood.

No one in the group absorbed this detail, however, as the decorative elements of the Dark Hour were a distant second in the hierarchy of attention-grabbing details the scene provided. What commanded their attention was the set of massive golden columns posted at the far end near the bench. They stood easily three times the size of anyone there and emanated a soft yellow light to match the moon in the sky. Heavy black chains bound them together, and they were covered intermittently with carvings of eyes set in perpetual anger.

As they watched, the eyes shifted, darting around their surroundings, focusing on nothing. Koromaru growled low at the construct and dropped into a crouch.

"What the . . ?" breathed Akihiko. "Where did _that _come from?"

"We don't know," Itsu said, stepping forward with Tetsu. "But for all the aggression it exudes, it doesn't actually do anything other than sit there." The two walked across the roof to the set of columns, with the rest of the gang following hesitantly behind.

"The Babylon Gate," Tetsu said once they were directly in front of it. "Yet another Shadow-worthy mystery, though I suppose it must still be an improvement over Tartarus. We don't know why it's here or what it's for; we're not even sure how we know what to call it unless it's the Dark Hour selectively feeding us info again. But standing in front of it like this, well . . . you feel it right?" he asked, turning to the rest of them.

"It feels like my skin's trying to crawl away," Yukari said, staring worriedly at the thing. She shuddered whenever the eyes passed over her.

"What is this dread?" Aigis asked, half to herself. "I haven't felt this much fear since the night I lost to Ryoji on Moonlight Bridge." Her hand went unconsciously to the ribbon around her neck, beneath which was the closest thing she had to a heart. "Fuuka?" she asked, turning to the girl.

Fuuka nodded. "This . . . really is some sort of gateway," she said. Her hands were clenched in front of her chest, the same gesture she adopted when she utilized her Persona's analysis power, but her eyes were wide-open and staring at the gate. "I don't know how, but . . . there's something on the other side. Something massive . . ."

"W-What, like Erebus?" Ken asked, looking nervously up at his clairvoyant senpai. "But, if it's another big Shadow, does that mean . . . we hafta fight it?"

"No," Fuuka answered. "It's not that. It's much larger than that." She looked around at the others. "I don't think we should seek it out. In fact, I think it might be a good idea if we just didn't touch this gate. Whatever's behind it, it's incredibly dangerous."

"Aw shit," Junpei groaned. "That means we're gonna hafta come back here at some point and fight it anyway, doesn't it? That's always how these things work out."

"No," Tetsu argued, "this may be an integral piece of the Dark Hour, but it's not an exit. Whatever lies through here is beyond our ability to defeat, whatever that may mean. It's mysterious, and probably holds some deeper meaning, but it's not what we're seeking. We just thought you'd want to know about it."

"Well, it raises more questions than it answers," Mitsuru commented, "but we do need whatever info we can get. This has a Desert of Doors feel to it, but I concur with my teammates. We should avoid this unless or until it becomes necessary to do otherwise."

"Man, wouldn't it be convenient right about now if someone would suddenly pop up who knew exactly what the hell was goin' on?" asked Junpei. "Like Ryoji, or Metis, or someone like that?" He twisted his head and scanned the rooftop, empty but for them. "Anyone? Hello? Anyone at all?"

"Don't count on it," Akihiko told him. "This one's all ours to figure out, it looks like." He turned back to the couple. "Anything else?"

"Any other oddities, you mean?" Itsu asked. "Other than this gate, Tartarus missing in action, and the severe lack of any Shadows that aren't massive heavyweights, no. Not really."

He turned his attention to Mitsuru. "Any ideas where to go from here?"

"Sorry, but may I see your Evokers?" she asked the couple. "I need to clarify something."

Tetsu and Itsu looked at each other and shrugged, pulling the pseudo-guns from their pockets and handing them over.

Mitsuru took them and turned them over in her hands, studying them. "Hm . . . yes, these are definitely Kirijo-issued devices. Not that it was very likely otherwise, I suppose." She reached under her skirt and felt around the side of her leg, her hand coming up empty. "Oh, yes. I forgot for a moment. Iori?"

"Senpai?" the boy answered.

"May I see your Evoker as well, please?"

"Whatever you say, boss," he said with a shrug, handing his own device over.

She took it and compared it to the two in her other hand, then looked back at Tetsu and Itsu. "If it's alright with the three of you, may I propose a trade?" she asked. "The group only ever developed one model of Evoker for humans that it actually distributed to anybody, but perhaps someone within the company can take a look at one of these and tell me something useful about it."

The couple looked at one another again, another silent exchange between the two of them. "We don't mind if you don't," Tetsu said. Junpei shrugged again, and Mitsuru redistributed the devices accordingly, switching Junpei's Evoker with Tetsu's.

"You don't ever put it in your mouth when you use it, do you?" Itsu asked him.

"Not that I remember," he answered. "Why?"

"It's just a habit," Yukari muttered. "I said I was sorry."

Itsu chuckled. "I'm just teasing. Honestly, it doesn't—"

They were interrupted by a loud screech overhead, and a shadow passed over the roof, blocking the moonlight for a brief instant. A massive bird, raven black with red-tipped wings, swooped low overhead and continued on down the street, circling slowly around. It carried a glowing lantern in its claws, and on its breast was an orange mask shaped like a skull with a single black eye in the middle.

They all ran to the edge of the roof as the Shadow flapped slowly back their direction. "It's a raven," Fuuka informed them all, "but it's the biggest I've ever seen of this type of Shadow. It feels like another guardian, like the minotaur Junpei killed. It's arcana is the hermit."

"You guys go on," Tetsu said, pulling out his borrowed Evoker. "We can take this one ourselves now that we're healed up again."

"Go on where?" Akihiko asked, raising his fists. "We'll stay and fight with you guys."

"You're not used to keeping track of your time anymore, are you?" Itsu asked. She'd pulled a length of pipe from somewhere and held it like a club out in front of her. "Your hour's almost up again. Time to wake up."

"Huh?" They all turned to look at the girl. Then the darkness at the edge of their vision expanded, and their world went black.

* * *

Aigis was the first one awake again. She opened her eyes and pushed herself off the wall, momentarily disconcerted as she took in her surroundings. "I'm . . . in the old dorm again," she said to herself as her consciousness fully surfaced. She and the rest of the team were back in the empty second-floor room, in the same positions they'd fallen asleep in. "But, we were at the school. Weren't we?"

At her feet, Koromaru stirred, then raised his head and yawned. He pushed himself groggily to his feet and stretched, then looked around the room with a confused grunt.

"You don't remember either?" Aigis asked him. "Strange. Did we walk back ourselves, or . . ?"

"Arf arf!" the dog barked, sending the rest of the squad into a groggy stirring fit as, one by one, they all woke up.

"Where are we?" Akihiko mumbled, pushing himself to his feet from the floor. It registered with him about the same time it did with everyone else. "Huh? How did we get back here?"

"It's the same as last night," said Fuuka. "We were at Naganaki Shrine when the Dark Hour ended, and we woke up here. It happened again tonight."

"Ugh . . ." Junpei sat up and rubbed his neck, wincing. "Well that definitely wasn't just a dream. I'm more tired now than I was when I fell asleep."

"That might be because you spent the night on a hard wooden floor," Yukari pointed out, standing and stretching. "But yeah, it wasn't just a dream. Or if it was, it's a really convincing one that we're all sharing somehow."

"Hmm . . . that's still a possibility," said Mitsuru, waking straight into her all-business composure. "It seems more and more unlikely with all of the evidence, but we can't rule it out just yet. Iori, do you still have that Evoker on you?"

Junpei reached into his pocket and pulled out the gun. "Hey, lookit that," he said, turning it over in his hand. "I don't remember falling asleep with this—yeah, it was in my old room with my sword. Oh, but this isn't the same one, is it?"

"It's hard to tell by looks alone," said Mitsuru, holding out a hand. "May I?" He passed the device to her, and she gave it another looking over. "Short of any personal altercations, it's difficult to differentiate between one Evoker and another, especially since they're all the same model. Have you customized it in any way?"

"I wrote my name on the bottom," said Junpei, standing up and stretching out his legs. "Y'know, in case we got 'em mixed up somehow. Didn't think it'd hurt."

"They all do the same thing," Yukari protested. "What does it matter if they get mixed up?"

"Cuz I wanna know which one's mine," Junpei argued. "Especially if you're putting 'em in your mouth, Yuka-tan."

"Hey, I _said _I—"

"There's no name here," Mitsuru interrupted, turning the device upside-down. "This is where you wrote it, you said? Could it have rubbed off?"

"Well, mebbe," Junpei admitted. "I just scratched it on with a gel pen."

"I see. Still, I'd like to take this back to Kirijo's labs with me, if you have no—"

"It's cool, Senpai," he interrupted, "you can take it. Ya don't need to be so formal all the time with us."

"_Merci,_" she said, pocketing the gun with a smile. She glanced at her watch. "My, it's already nine o'clock. Seems we slept in."

"What?!" demanded Junpei. "Aw man, I got a report due today!"

"Uh, Senpai?" Ken chimed in. "It's Sunday. There's no school."

"Oh. Whew," he sighed, grinning. Then, "Wait . . . aw man! I got a report due tomorrow!"

"I don't wanna hear it," Akihiko said. "As much work as they're piling on me, you oughtta feel lucky you can still slack off as much as you do."

"We all have full schedules, it seems," Mitsuru said as she stood up. "And now we're pursuing another late-night mission with Shadows. Never a dull moment, huh?"

"Tch . . ."

"What's the matter, Akihiko?" she asked. "Is this constant fighting finally taking its toll on you?"

"Well, I don't _like _the Shadows," he admitted. "But if I have to deal with them again, I want to enjoy it. Doesn't look like I'm gonna get a good training schedule going again anytime soon, though."

"I thought you were in college on a boxing scholarship, Sanada-san," said Ken. "I wouldn't have thought there'd be a lot of homework for P.E. classes."

"There's not," he said, "but I'm studying sports management too, and they're making me take business classes. Those are nothing _but _paperwork." He sighed, then turned to Mitsuru. "How do you stand it all day?"

"It's all in how you look at it," the girl said with a smile. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and catch up with everyone some more, but I have things to take care of today as well. I'll take Tetsu's Evoker by the research department first chance I get to have it analyzed, and I'll be in touch with you all before tonight to discuss our strategy for the future. Akihiko?"

"Yeah, I gotta get back too," he said, turning to the rest of the group. "Anyone else need a ride anywhere?"

"Well, I'll go with you guys again, I guess," said Ken. "If you could drop me off at the shrine, I'd appreciate it."

"I should get back to my dorm," Fuuka added. "I promised to meet up with Sakura-chan again today. Could you take me back too, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Arf arf!" Koromaru barked, tail wagging.

"You want to ride too, Koro-chan?" Fuuka asked with a smile. The dog barked cheerfully again.

"I gotta hit the mall," Yukari announced. "That's in the opposite direction. Thanks anyway, Senpai."

"Yeah, I'm headin' back to Port Island myself," said Junpei. "What about you, Ai-chan?"

"Me? I don't have any plans," said Aigis. "And my homework is all caught up."

"Then come shopping with me," said Yukari. "I'll need a second opinion anyway."

"Well, now that that's all settled," said Mitsuru with a chuckle, "shall we be on our way? We're all technically trespassing at this point."

"Is that supposed to bother us?" asked Junpei. "After all the places we had to break into last year, I think I've grown out of that 'private-property' vibe."

"I see your point," his senpai said with a nod. "However, I'd hate to tarnish your records of commendable citizenship with anything more than the necessary evils our obligations require of us."

Junpei blinked. "Um . . . huh?"

"Everybody out, please," she translated. "And it was a pleasure seeing all of you again."


	8. Chapter 7: Young Folks

A/N (hello again, everybody): As of this moment, my computer is fixed, my internet connection is working, and my girlfriend has gone home. I finally have the time and the ability to update this thing. Yes, I know I said I was going to try and update more often over spring break, but best laid plans and all that. Sorry again.  
To sort of apologize, this chapter is 30% longer than average. I counted.

On that note, though, I _can _occasionally get online somewhere long enough to post status updates on my profile, and I've done so. They all read the same ("computer's broke, no chapter, sorry"), but it's better than nothing, right?

No? Damn. Moving on.

The song is 'Young Folks' by Peter, Bjorn & John, featuring Victoria Bergsman for half the vocals. It's different from my usual choices, but it fits. Lyrics referenced at .

Also, a note about Chidori: yes, she died in the course of the main storyline. In the regular version of the game, there was nothing you could do about this. However, in FES, certain steps could be taken to bring about an event where she's revived with the leftover residue of her own healing power - minus Medea, her unstable frame of mind, and any memories of the past few years since she first awakened to her Persona, sans a few vague memories of some wonderful dream person that she needs to find, aka Junpei. For the purpose of this particular story, I'm going with the revival scenario; your reward for bringing it about in the game is only a single cutscene and a night of emotional dialogue from your dorm mates, so this is my gift to all who felt gyped by the lack of any sort of follow-up.  
Also, I like Chidori, and I'm the author.

Read meh now.

* * *

If I told you things I did before, told you how I used to be  
Would you go along with someone like me?  
If you knew my story word for word, had all of my history  
Would you go along with someone like me?

I did before and had my share. It didn't lead nowhere  
I would go along with someone like you  
It doesn't matter what you did, who you were hanging with  
We could stick around and see this night through

And we don't care about the young folks, talkin' 'bout the young style  
And we don't care about the old folks, talkin' 'bout the old style too  
And we don't care about our own folks, talkin' 'bout our own style  
All we care about is talking, talking only me and you

Usually when things has gone this far, people tend to disappear  
No one would surprise me unless you do  
I can tell there's something goin' on, hours seem to disappear  
Everyone is leaving, I'm still with you

It doesn't matter what we do, where we are going to  
We can stick around and see this night through

And we don't care about the young folks, talkin' 'bout the young style  
And we don't care about the old folks, talkin' 'bout the old style too  
And we don't care about our own folks, talkin' 'bout our own style  
All we care about is talking, talking only me and you

—Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn & John, featuring Victoria Bergsman

* * *

Aigis, Junpei, and Yukari watched Mitsuru's car disappear down the road before they turned and headed for Iwatodai Station together. "Akihiko-san sounds like he's got it rough, huh?" Junpei asked conversationally. "Makes me wonder whether I'm cut out for college or not myself."

"I've always wondered that about you," Yukari said with a giggle. "But yeah, I heard he's overloading. Some of those business classes he's in don't have a thing to do with sports management, supposedly."

"Weird," Junpei said. "Wonder what he's takin' 'em for then? It's not like a boxing prodigy like him needs a backup plan."

"I dunno," Yukari admitted. "Both our senpai are pretty smart, though, so I'm not too worried about him. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Yeah. And what about Mitsuru-senpai?" He shook his head. "She hasn't changed a bit. Still as commanding as ever—instant leader, just add crisis."

"Well, she _is _the head of the Kirijo Group now," said Yukari. "Being CEO pretty much demands that kind of attitude, I'd think."

"Wow. Miss Kirijo President . . ." Junpei sighed and shook his head again. "She's in a totally different world from the rest of us poor slobs, huh?"

Yukari shrugged. "Yeah, but honestly, I don't envy her. I'd hate to have to go to college _and _run one of Japan's biggest corporations at the same time."

"What?!" he asked, stopping in surprise. "She's in college too?!"

Yukari gave him a skeptic look. "You didn't know?" she asked. "It's hard to justify having that kind of position without a college education. Plus she said something about not being a slave to her name." She shook her head. "Seriously, Junpei-kun, how do you not know these things?"

"Dude . . . whoa. There's no way I could multitask like that," he said, shoulders slumping. "I barely get my homework done as it is."

"I don't wanna hear it," said Yukari, repeating Akihiko's sentiment. "You're not even in any clubs—you just slack off."

"So?"

"So, maybe if you got involved with more than just videogames, you'd learn how to be more organized and manage your time better."

"Hey," he argued, "videogames build thinking skills and hand-eye coordination. It's been proven."

"Thinking skills and hand-eye coordination don't really effect organization and time management, though," Aigis pointed out.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Junpei demanded, looking between the girls. "Well . . . I ain't got time for club anyway," he conceded with a smile. "I gots me a girl to keep satisfied now."

"A girl?" Yukari repeated, looking questioningly between him and Aigis. "But what about Chidori?"

He shrugged. "What about her?"

"Junpei!" Yukari cried, taken aback. "That's horrible! How could you?!"

"Huh? How could I what?" he asked defensively.

"And after everything you two have been through!" Yukari continued to yell. "Chidori loves you, you thoughtless pervert!"

"I know!" he cried, raising his hands. "Who do you think I'm talking about?"

"Eh?" she asked, thrown off balance. "Wait . . . but she checked out of the hospital earlier this year, didn't she? I thought she'd left the city for a while."

"Dude, Yuka-tan, she's in your dorm!"

"What?!" the girl asked, her turn to be surprised. "Seriously?!"

"Seriously," said Junpei, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn, Yukari. How do you not know these things?"

"Wait . . . so does that mean she's going to school with us?" Yukari continued.

"That's usually a dorm requirement, yeah. It's hard to get a room if you're not a student."

"She's in my chemistry class," Aigis offered. "She's not as emotionally unstable anymore, but she's still very much Chidori-san."

"You knew too, Aigis? How am I the last to figure it out?" Yukari sighed, the mall all but forgotten. "Wait, though, what about her amnesia? She completely forgot everything that happened in the past few years, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but she's working on remembering things little by little," Junpei informed her. "And since she's not flying under the radar with Strega anymore, she has to go to school. Or enroll, at least."

"Wow. After everything we went through with her, I seriously can't picture her sitting at a desk like a regular student."

"Well you obviously haven't seen her lately," he said with a smile. "She doesn't attract as much attention now that she's wearing Gekko High's uniform instead of that gothic lolita getup." His smile turned into a full-fledged grin of satisfaction, his thoughts turned inward. "She stands out on beauty alone now," he added with a sigh.

"Uh . . . you're not gonna go all lovey-dovey on us, are you?" Yukari asked hesitantly, stepping back from him. "That'd be too weird. And probably annoying."

"Nah, I'm just sayin'," he said, coming out of his reverie. "That's why I'm headin' to Port Island. Got me a date." His grin widened further.

"Well, this is a lot to take in," said Yukari, "especially on top of this new Dark Hour problem. But I'm happy for you two." She smiled, and the three of them continued on their walk. "How's that working, then? I mean, she didn't remember a thing about any of us back in January, even you. And she must be so different now that she's not . . . um . . ."

"An emotional wreck?" Junpei offered, then shrugged. "Well, I just kept going back to see her at the hospital after the fight with Nyx was over. Y'know, trying to help her remember a few things. But all she seems to remember on her own are things about the 'kind, warm person' from her dream. Lucky for me, huh?" He grinned again. "And yeah, she kinda acts different now, but it's a good different. She's not as panicky, and she doesn't hurt herself anymore. And she's still weird as ever." The smile he wore as he said this gave the word a positive connotation.

"Well . . . that's good, I suppose. Even if I can't picture it in my head. So how's she doing?" asked Yukari as they came into the train station.

"Well, she's got a huge gap in her memory, but she's doin' alright. It's probably better that she forgot some of that stuff anyway. I mean, with all the drugs, and the Shadows, and Takaya's freaky-ass ideas . . . I'm glad it's not around to haunt her anymore." They reached the ticket line and he turned to them both. "We all gotta go past the Port Island plaza anyway, right? Wait 'til you see her." He beamed again, excited.

* * *

They scanned the meager crowd as they came down the stairs of Port Island station. To their left, the movie theater stretched the entire length of the plaza from the station to the street. A line had gathered at the door that stretched the length of the building, mostly anxious teenaged girls that gossiped and giggled with one another as they waited. To the right the flower shop Rafflesia was nestled between the staircase and a set of larger buildings, potted greenery spilling out the door onto display tables that stretched the length of the little alcove. Past that were the bars and gambling halls whose doors could only be reached via the alley behind the station—an alley the three of them had shied away from before midnight since June.

Between these two sides, in the middle of the plaza, a girl with long red hair in a white ruffled dress sat on the edge of an island flowerbed, gazing intently at a point in front of her across the square. She held an open sketchbook in one hand, and her other made slow but constant strokes with a pencil. As the three approached her, she didn't look away from whatever subject held her interest, even to see what it was she was drawing.

Junpei walked up right beside her with a wide grin. "Chidorita! What's up?"

"You know, it's strange," she said, still staring into the distance, "but I think I vaguely remember telling you once not to call me that, Junpei."

"Yeah, prolly." He sat down next to her and peered over her shoulder at the pad of paper in her lap. "Whatcha drawin'?"

"You tell me," she said, lifting the paper to give him a better look. Her pencil still sketched away on the side, a constant _scritch scritch _against the backdrop of the casual plaza commotion. Her eyes still stared off across space.

"Whoa," he said, leaning closer, "how do you get that much detail? It looks just like that old guy who's always standing around in front of the station."

"Does it?" she asked, bringing the pad back to her lap, her hand roaming freely across the page again. "That's good. That's what I was going for."

"I thought you went back to that 'avant garden' scribbly stuff," he said, slouching forward again, elbows on his knees as he watched her drawing grow.

"_Avante garde_," she corrected him. "Most of it's nonobjective. And I have." She flipped her sketchbook closed, never once glancing at the paper, and tucked the pencil into her hair behind her ear. "I'm trying to explore different styles," she explained, looking at him for the first time. Her eyes jumped up to Aigis and Yukari standing next to him. "Hello?" she asked. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Oh, um . . . hi," said Yukari, looking between her and Aigis. "You probably don't remember me, huh?"

Chidori tilted her head and peered at the girl in much the same way she'd been peering at her sketch subject across the station court. "You look familiar," she said. "I think I've seen you around the dorm. My guess is I used to know you, but I can't put a name to your face. Sorry."

"Nah, that's alright," Yukari said, shaking her head. "We were barely acquaintances. I'm Yukari Takeba," she added with a bow. "You already know Aigis, right? Nice to meet you. Again."

"Oh, I've heard about you two," said Chidori. "You were in that club with Junpei, right? The one where you were trying to save the world?"

"Uh . . . yeah, more or less," she said awkwardly. "The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. I guess it does sound kinda like a Sunday-morning cartoon when you say it out loud."

"It struck me as kind of morbid, actually," the red-haired girl replied. "You probably know this already, but my name's Chidori Yoshino. Hi."

"Told ya, didn't I?" Junpei said with a grin at Yukari.

"Huh? Told who what?" Chidori asked.

"It's nothing," said Yukari dismissively. "Anyway, we were on our way to Paulownia Mall. See ya around." She smiled, then walked off with Aigis.

"So, we hittin' the theater?" asked Junpei once they'd gone.

"Mm, maybe not," she answered, looking at the waiting crowd out front. "It looks packed. That new _Dusk _movie just came out today."

"_Dusk?_" he repeated. "Is that that one about sequined teenage vampires that's all over the net?"

She nodded. "Something like that. It's based on a book. All the girls at school have been raving over it for months. If you don't mind, I'd rather not get caught up in the mob."

He shrugged. "Well, whaddaya wanna do then?"

"You want to go somewhere?" she asked, standing up and holding her sketchbook to her chest.

"Like where?" he asked back, standing with her.

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "Nah, I guess not. Let's go."

* * *

"Ah, yes. This is a standard-issue .40 caliber gun-model Evoker designed for use by humans with the potential. Only about one hundred of them were ever produced."

"Yes, I know that," said Mitsuru with a nod. "But is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

"Hmm . . ." He turned the device over in his hands, examining it from every angle. "Well, it's definitely the latest model. Our earlier prototypes didn't utilize the trigger firing mechanism. They also didn't work—and judging from all the scuff marks, I'd say this one's seen its fair share of usage."

"Yes," she nodded, "I know that, too. Anything _else?_"

"Well . . . the grip is well-preserved. And it's very maneuverable." He demonstrated by twirling the device on his finger for a second before it slipped and fell.

Mitsuru caught it and sighed. "Professor. Please."

The older man smiled in embarrassment. "My apologies, Miss President. But you understand, the only standing knowledge we have on matters of the Dark Hour and Shadows is strictly technological data. If it weren't for the backup files, our entire research team would still be completely in the dark on the entire matter."

"I know," she said, looking down at the gun herself. "I can imagine how hard it must be interpreting complex and sensitive data one has no memory of collecting. Still . . ." She passed the device back to him. "The matter is of some importance to me, Professor. If at all possible, I'd like you to take this back to the research lab and analyze it in-depth. Check it against technological records, project data, anything that may give us some clue as to its history. Whenever you have the time."

"Uh . . . Yes, Miss President," he said, pocketing the Evoker. "Would you happen to have any leads in mind? Something to start with, perhaps?"

"Well, if my guess is correct, it isn't one of the eight machines that was handed out to SEES members."

"Really?" he asked, scratching his chin. "That's odd. These human-utilized models were only ever issued to non-staff members one other time."

"And that time would be?" asked Mitsuru.

"Huh? Oh, er . . ." he shrugged and turned away. "It's nothing too major. Just an experiment the Group conducted in the earlier days of Shadow research. None of us remember the exact details, and we barely have any data left to go by."

"I see," she said slowly. "Well, there you have your lead, however small it may be."

"So it would seem," he muttered. "I'm not sure how much information remains on the subject, but I'll check it against the evidence just the same."

"_Merci beaucoup_, Professor," said Mitsuru with a polite smile. "Oh, and I'll be checking out a replacement instrument while you examine it. I'll have the forms sent to your division's records department."

"Yes, fine. Thank you, Miss President." He bowed to her, then turned and walked out the door, leaving her alone in the empty meeting room.

". . . An earlier experiment involving Shadows and humans?" the president of Kirijo said quietly to herself, crossing the room to the wide wall-to-wall windows. From this floor, the view included all of Iwatodai on this side, across downtown to Tatsumi Port. Gekkoukan High School sat on the island between the bay and the river, lit a soft white from the evening sun. "And it was the first of only two instances non-staff were given Evokers," she continued to the window, watching the building. "Interesting . . ."

* * *

"So, Junpei," Chidori said casually as they strolled through Hazanoma toward Naganaki Shrine, "how's your report coming along?" The monorail sailed by overhead to their left, for a moment drowning out the broken pieces of conversations passing them by on the sidewalk. The shrine came into view ahead of them, right in front of the street leading back to both of their dorms in either direction.

"Uh, great!" declared Junpei. "Yep. Fantastic. A+ material."

"You haven't started yet, have you?" she asked skeptically, glancing up at him.

"Actually," he answered with a self-satisfied grin, "I have. I just haven't, y'know . . . finished it," he added, deflating.

Chidori sighed, then smiled. "Get home and finish it, then. I don't want your bad grades on my conscience."

"Hey," he argued as they approached the shrine, "I haven't got a grade below average yet this year." His grin came back as they stopped on the sidewalk, turning to each other. "But, yeah," he conceded, "I guess you're right. I should prolly go finish it. Okay, well . . . see ya tomorrow, Chidori."

"See you then," she answered as he turned to leave. "Oh, and Junpei?" she added suddenly.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around and right into the girl.

She rose up on her toes and pressed her lips softly against his, holding them there for a moment. Before he could react, she was back down on her feet. "Thank you for all your help," she said. "See you at school." With another smile, she turned and walked away.

"Uh . . . y-yeah," Junpei stuttered quietly, watching her leave with a blush. "Bye . . ."

He stood staring after her until his pocket started beeping, startling him out of his reverie. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open to find a new text message.

"This is Mitsuru," the message read. "We're meeting at the old dorm again tonight before midnight. Bring all of your gear. We may have found a lead."


	9. Chapter 8: Looking for the Answer

A/N (some 'splainin' needs doin'): It's been, what, two years now since I last updated this story? Yeah . . . I'm real sorry about that, everyone. I got major sidetracked with school and all the other stuff that needs writing in my life. Papers, essays, other fanfics, original fics, a TV script . . . This one kinda fell by the wayside for a bit. I don't really have any better excuse than that I had other things on my mind and just sorta neglected this one for longer than was polite.

BUT! Don't ever think I won't finish it. Maybe I won't in a timely manner, but it'll get done one of these days. I've realized holding myself to a schedule is a sure way not to hit it, so I'm just gonna write on this story whenever the urge hits and throw the chapters up as they're finished. Sometimes I feel like I'm sacrificing quality for timeliness, but I'm kind of a perfectionist, so if I had my way they'd be trapped in revision limbo forever. No one wants that.

Anyway, add this story to your updates if you absolutely must know when the next chapter is out as soon as it's out. Otherwise check back intermittently. And check out the character poll on my profile to influence who gets more air time, where applicable.

The song is 'Crawling in the Dark' by Hoobastank. Lyrics referenced at AZLyrics.

Enjoy. Sorry again for the wait.

* * *

I will dedicate and sacrifice my every  
Thing for just a second's worth of how my story's ending  
And I wish I could know if the directions that I take  
And all the choices that I make won't end up all for nothing

Show me what it's for, make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what i've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer

Help me carry on, assure me it's okay to  
Use my heart and not my eyes to navigate the darkness  
Will the ending be ever coming suddenly?  
Will I ever get to see the ending to my story?

Show me what it's for, make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what i've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer

So when and how will I know?

How much further do I have to go?  
And how much longer until I finally know?  
Because I'm looking and I just can't see what's in front of me  
In front of me

Show me what it's for, make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what i've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer

—Crawling in the Dark, by Hoobastank

* * *

Late evening sunlight spilled through the gym room windows where Akihiko was wailing diligently on a punching bag, practicing different combos and occasionally dodging imaginary attacks. He was covered in a light sweat, and his t-shirt clung intermittently as he danced back and forth in front of his sand-filled opponent.

Behind him, two more students in the same outfit sat on a bench and watched his workout. "You're really getting into it, huh?" one of them noted. "That bag's gonna have tread marks from your fists if you keep that up, y'know."

Akihiko said nothing, just kept punching away. The thud of his fists against the canvas was the only sound around for a few moments before his gym bag on the bench started to ring.

The other student in his audience rummaged through it. "Hey, Akihiko, your cell's going off," he said, holding up the phone as evidence.

"Who is it?" the boxer asked, not pausing in his exercise or taking his eyes off the bag.

The other student flipped it open. "Name says 'Mitsuru'. Should I tell them you're busy, or—"

Akihiko'd snatched the phone from his hand and punched the answer button before he could finish. "Hey," he said simply into the receiver, forcing his heavy breathing to lessen.

"Working hard, are we?" asked Mitsuru's voice on the other line. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Just some light practice. What's up?"

"We're meeting again tonight," she informed him. "I've been talking to the Shadow RD team, and I think I may have found our first clue. I need you to pick up Amada and meet me at the office."

Akihiko smirked against the phone. "A clue, huh? What kind?"

"Well, we still have no viable idea as to why the Dark Hour seems to be lingering. But those Persona-users inside may not have cropped up from nowhere after all."

"Wait . . . you mean Kirijo keeps records of random Persona-users?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Possibly," she admitted. "But that's not what I had in mind. I'll explain things once everyone's together again."

"Alright. Give me an hour," said Akihiko, and they both hung up. Neither bothered with parting pleasantries. "I'm heading out," he said to his teammates, scooping up his gym bag and heading toward the gym exit.

"Did I hear something about Kirijo?" the first student asked, brow scrunched in curiosity. "Dude, what do you do when you leave here anyway?"

Akihiko smiled. "I train," he said, then walked out the door.

* * *

The sun was setting on Iwatodai when Mitsuru's car pulled up in front of the dorm again. Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, and Aigis were all waiting on the stoop when the passenger door opened and Koromaru bounded out, barking happily. Akihiko followed. "Here," he said, tossing something to Junpei before closing the door.

Junpei caught it and looked it over. It was another Evoker, but one that looked markedly less worn.

"Mitsuru checked out a replacement for you," he explained, walking around to the back of the car. "Yours is being examined by Kirijo. Or Tetsu's is," he amended, opening the trunk. "Or whatever. Come give me a hand with this." He hefted a box and placed it in Junpei's arms before opening another and digging around inside.

"Junpei said you'd found a lead?" Aigis asked Mitsuru as she stepped out of the car. There was a scabbard tied around their leader's waist, with a peace-tied rapier in the sheath. Ken emerged from the back of the vehicle with a spear easily twice as long as he was, the end of which was wrapped in a mound of thick plastic.

"Perhaps," Mitsuru said. "It's only a guess, but as far as an explanation goes, it's all we have to go on at the moment." She strode past them to the front doorway, opening the door and leading the group in.

"What's in the box, Senpai?" Junpei asked, following them inside with said box in his arms. He set it on the front desk next to the sign-in book that nobody had bothered to sign since March.

"Basic supplies," Mitsuru explained, taking her usual seat in one of the armchairs in front of the coffee table. "Medicine, nonperishable food items, first-aid gear, _et cétéra_. If we're going to make our nightly forays a regular enterprise, they'll come in handy—not to mention I'm curious as to how they'll interact with this strange new Dark Hour."

"If you can break windows and playground equipment in the Dark Hour, and they don't break in the real world, they may all still be here in the morning," Ken reasoned, laying down his spear and unwrapping the blade.

"So . . . that means," Junpei began thoughtfully, "that any food I ate during the Dark Hour would still be here in the morning. Dude!" he added, smiling in excitement. "I could eat the same cup of ramen twice! That's awesome!"

"Seriously, do you _ever _focus, Junpei?" Yukari sighed. The front door opened again, and Akihiko walked in carrying a pair of fist spurs and a short staff with a bladed metal edge on one end. "What're those for, Senpai?" Yukari asked.

"Tetsu and Itsu," he answered, setting them on the coffee table. "Got 'em at the police station. Officer Kurosawa was pretty surprised when I told him I needed to buy some weapons off of him again, but I told him it probably wasn't anything that would endanger the public this time."

"We can't be sure, though," Mitsuru reminded him. "We know next to nothing about our current situation; and while we have past experience to rely on, we shouldn't put too much faith in old assumptions."

"I know," Akihiko answered with a frown. "I said 'probably.'"

"So, we're all pilin' in his old room with big pointy weapons this time, eh?" Junpei asked, looking around at the assorted equipment being unpacked throughout the lounge. Ken had his spear open, Mitsuru had her sword untied, and Akihiko's weighted gloves hung off of his belt. Junpei's katana and Yukari's bow sat against the wall, having been dropped off before their senpai arrived. Even Koromaru had a dagger, which he'd carried into the corner next to the TV and sat with, waiting. Only Fuuka and Aigis were without weaponry, though this was never exactly true with the latter.

"Not quite," Mitsuru answered. "We'll split into teams. Yamagishi, Akihiko, and I will occupy his room. Aigis, Iori, and Amada, I'd like you three to take your old rooms. Koromaru will stay in the lounge, and Yukari, I'd like you to wait outside before midnight comes. Judging by whom the Dark Hour claims tonight, we should be able to set up an approximate boundary of what area we have in which to work."

"We're not kidding around, huh?" Yukari commented. "So, what's the plan when we get in?"

"We can't be too sure of a course of action until we've explored the terrain properly," said Mitsuru, staring thoughtfully ahead, her attention focused inward. "Our main objective at the moment is to gain information on the current situation. Once we better understand what we're dealing with, we'll have a better idea how to set things right again."

"You remember the first night you ever explored Tartarus?" Akihiko asked, looking between Yukari and Junpei. "Think of it like that. We'll be getting a feel for the place, but we can't start plowing ahead until we know what we're aiming for."

"Our overall goal seems to be erasing the Dark Hour for good. Again," Mitsuru continued. "In the process, we should be able to rescue those trapped within it. But we won't know how to go about it until we determine the link between the Dark Hour's continued existence and the predicament of the two that call themselves Tetsu and Itsu, as well as the cause behind it all. And that gate on the school roof bothers me as well," she added.

"Yeah, did it seem familiar to anyone else?" Ken asked. "Not just the setting or the feeling, but the actual gate thing. I get the feeling I've seen something like it somewhere before." He looked around questioningly at his senpai.

Junpei shrugged. "All the creepy junk that's been thrown at us up 'til now, I wouldn't be surprised. Any of you ever just stop and _look _at the walls and shit in Tartarus while we were climbin' up it?" He shook his head at the thought. "There were, like, glowing neon eyeballs and faces comin' outta the walls and crap."

"I tried not to look too close," said Yukari. "Still, _nothing_ in Tartarus was as bad as the décor in that disgusting hotel." She grimaced at the thought.

"You're still not over that?" Junpei said with a grin.

"At any rate," Akihiko interrupted, glancing at his watch, "it's almost midnight. I'm gonna go ahead and turn in. See you all soon," he added as he walked off toward the stairs.

Mitsuru stood up and nodded decisively. "We should all get to our posts as well. If we accomplish nothing else by morning, at least we'll know how thin we can spread ourselves in the future." She reached the hallway and turned back to her team. "Everyone who makes it into the Dark Hour, we'll meet back here in the lounge for preparations. Everyone who doesn't," she added, "sleep well."

* * *

Midnight came and, for the majority of the country, passed uneventfully. But for six teenagers in Iwatodai, black skies gave way to green as the moonlight transformed and suffused the city shadows. Again, Aigis was the first one up, and sat waiting in the lounge with Koromaru, Ken, and Junpei as Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Akihiko filed down the stairs one by one. "Is Takeba awake yet?" were the first words out of Mitsuru's mouth after a quick glance around.

"She hasn't come in yet," replied Aigis. "Perhaps she's waiting for us to come outside to her?"

"At any rate, this is a pretty good window," Akihiko noted. "At least we won't have to crowd together anymore."

"The school's not gonna get on our asses for staying in this old dorm at night instead of our assigned ones, are they?" Junpei asked. He held an open cup of ramen soup which he put to his lips and knocked back, slurping up the broth and noodles. "Wha' are 'ey even using i' for a'ymore?" he asked around his mouthful.

"As of now, the school board doesn't know we're here," Mitsuru answered, "although I'm sure they'll figure it out before too long. We should be able to get clearance, though, if we convince them it's one of the Group's projects, so I'm not too worried. Right now it's still in a transitional period; since SEES disbanded, those in charge aren't sure how best to put the building to use. The technological systems set up throughout are advanced, and the meeting room computer has very specialized and classified functions, so they don't want to turn it into just another student dormitory—at least until they've removed all of the equipment." Her eyes strayed to the soup in Junpei's hand as she answered, and her expression became increasingly quizzical. "How did you heat that up with the power off?" she finally asked.

"I didn't," Junpei answered after swallowing. "It's still cold. I'm just doin' some research, like you said, Senpai." He grinned and took another slurp, and the next moment a piercing screech from outside cut through the relative silence, reminding all present of the world they'd infiltrated and the situation at hand. Junpei's half-empty cup of ramen dropped from his hand in surprise and splashed its contents across the carpet.

Fuuka was the first to recover. "It's the raven from the other night!" she realized. "The one that attacked us before we woke up!"

"They haven't killed it yet?" Ken asked, grabbing his spear from against the wall. "Are they alright?"

"They probably just started fighting it," Akihiko answered as the team mobilized and rushed for the door. "We get one Dark Hour a night—the twenty-four in between them don't seem to count once it starts." He rushed out the open door behind the rest of the squad and into the warped Iwatodai streets, where they all came instantly face-to-face with a massive black coffin standing upright on the bottom step of the dorm.

"Yukari?" Mitsuru called to the night, scanning quickly up and down the sidewalk around her. "Where is she?"

"Arf!" Koromaru answered, circling the coffin before them. He sniffed the base of the monolith before sitting down in front of it and wagging his tail. "Arf arf!" he confirmed.

"She's in there," Aigis explained, looking from the dog to the black sarcophagus. "This _is _Yukari." She ran a hand up the lid, looking it up and down. No blood was dripping from it or pooling around its base like with most of the other coffins they'd seen.

"She transmogged?" Junpei asked, tapping the side. "But she's one of us! Since when do awakened Persona-users turn into these things?"

"Since the rules changed," said Akihiko. "Apparently you can't get here from the front porch. Now are we gonna go or what?" he demanded. As if on cue, another blood-curdling screech tore through the night from the direction of the high school.

Mitsuru nodded. "We'll deal with this later. Right now, our enemies are calling." And without further discussion they all took off toward Gekkoukan.

* * *

A massive winged shape dove in looping circles over the roof of the high school, its jet black body like a shifting hole against the bright green of the twisted night sky. Looped around one clawed foot, a small lantern bobbed a ball of soft orange light beneath the attacking Shadow.

"Raven," Fuuka reminded the group as they rushed around to the broken window. "Hermit arcana. Feels like a guardian."

"Dark Hour's bustin' out the good stuff for us lately, huh?" Junpei commented as they clambered through the open portal. A quick sprint down the hallway and up the stairs took them to the roof of the school and the scene of the battle.

Tetsu and Itsu were standing at opposite sides of the building near the ledges, the latter gripping a length of iron pipe and the former weaponless. The Shadow circled slowly, more like a vulture than a raven. Then it loosed a warbled screech and dove for Itsu.

The girl jerked back and swung wildly at the speeding monster, a thud belying a hit but without stopping it. The Shadow barreled into her, knocking her to her back and sending her sliding backward across the rooftop. Tetsu yelled wordlessly and darted toward her and the massive bird, drawing Junpei's traded Evoker as he ran—but the raven banked hard at the end of its swoop, careening toward him and crashing against his shoulder and the side of his head. The sudden impact jerked his head back, his feet flying out from under him and his Evoker sailing unused through the air. He crashed to his back on the rooftop with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs in an audible gasp. The Evoker skittered across the floor toward the towering Babylon Gate.

The SEES group charged across the rooftop toward the downed Persona-users as the raven swept back up into the air, Akihiko sliding to one knee next to Tetsu and quickly looking him over for more serious injuries. "How long have you guys been held up here?" he demanded, gaze jerking upward toward the Shadow once he'd satisfied himself with Tetsu's condition.

The young man struggled to a sitting position, sucking in frantic, shallow lungfuls of air that denied speaking. He shook his head, turning his gaze to Itsu, who was climbing to her feet with Fuuka similarly tending her. Fatigue weighed visibly on her as she slowly staggered up, her breathing deep and heavy as Tetsu's was not. "Not long," she answered in his stead. "You guys disappeared a few minutes ago."

"And it's already this bad?" asked Akihiko, gesturing to them both. Neither looked like they had much fight left in them.

"We're never in much better condition," she explained, raising her makeshift weapon in preparation. "And it's powerful."

As if in reply, the Shadow screeched again, diving to the rooftop at the far end of the building and barreling along the ground toward them, wings outstretched, lantern skimming the concrete. A hail of bullets erupted from the opposite side of the roof, behind the battle-weary teenagers, as Aigis emptied the contents of one hand at the swooping Shadow. The raven pulled its attack midway toward them with a frantic flapping of its wings, instead taking straight back up to the air out of reach.

"Let us handle this for now," Mitsuru commanded, striding calmly between them to the middle of the rooftop. "Akihiko, Yamagishi, take care of those two. The rest of you, back me up." She glared up at the black mass bobbing against the moonlight and spread her arms wide in challenge. "And you! Have at me!"

The Shadow complied, lunging at Mitsuru. Her blade cleared its scabbard before anyone could see the motion, and she whipped it around in front of her just as the raven's claws lunged for her. Sword and Shadow met with a sharp clang and parted just as quickly as they'd connected. The Shadow recovered the next moment and jabbed again, but Mitsuru brought her sword back around in a tight circle to parry the second blow with another ringing clang.

The raven screeched, deterred but not beaten, and stabbed its talons repeatedly at its enemy; but the seasoned swordswoman never so much as flinched as her rapier whipped repeatedly through the air in front of her in a blurred cloud of metal, parrying each blow even as the Shadow bore down on her, driving her back. Suddenly, with a speed that surprised even her companions, the Persona-user spun away to the right after her swing, dodging the raven's next jab and throwing it off balance. Before it could recover, she swept the blade full circle in a spinning arc that caught the Shadow above the claw, slicing off one feathered leg midway down. The lantern slipped from the severed appendage, bouncing and rolling across the rooftop, orange flame sputtering but not dying. The raven screamed and backed off; but Mitsuru pressed her advantage and bore in, lunging at her enemy and driving the point of her sword through the Shadow's wing before ripping the blade free out the bottom, spilling black blood and feathers in a violent slash across the floor.

The raven screamed anew and fell to the ground as Mitsuru shoved the sword back into its sheath. Her Evoker slipped into her other hand, and she brought the barrel to her head and pulled the trigger without hesitation, crying "Artemisia!"

There was a gunshot, the sound of glass breaking, and a surge of ethereal blue light as her Persona faded into existence—a regal figure in a ballroom gown and red domino mask, holding a chain whip taught in both hands. The air went bitter cold as the raven flash-froze, suddenly trapped inside a block of ice as massive as the coffin-shaped monoliths that littered the streets below. Then the ice shattered as quickly as it had formed, massive slabs of pure cold crumbling amidst a shower of stinging ice needles. The Shadow screamed again for the last time, the sound fading to nothing as the great beast dissolved into a fog of red and black that writhed outward before vanishing without a trace.

Only then did the orange flicker of lantern light finally snuff and vanish, the lantern dissolving along with it.

Near the door, Junpei snorted. "Back her up, she says," he mumbled under his breath.

Mitsuru re-holstered her Evoker as Artemisia faded away, the otherworldly blue light following her into nothingness. "So," she said, turning back to face the slack-jawed stares of Tetsu and Itsu, "now that I have your undivided attention, I've thought of some more questions for you two."


	10. Chapter 9: Waiting in No Man's Land

A/N (told you I'd be back): Hey, alright, it only took six months this time to get a new chapter up! That's better than the last one anyway. I have no new excuse on this front, by the way: school and life and all that get distracting, and now that I'm on winter break without so much to do I can afford to come back here and keep going. For a while there I think I was avoiding this story while I tried to figure out what was gonna happen next, but I've since figured out the plot a little more and decided not to worry so much about the pacing—I'm just gonna write as it comes to me and see how long the story takes to finish.

I've got some other fan fiction ideas lined up in my head I want to get to as well—a P3 one-shot, a Skies of Arcadia epilogue, a Rogue Galaxy adventure-romance, a Hellsing crossover—but I'm gonna try and finish this one before I start working too hard on those. I owe it to you guys for your awesome patience.

The song is 'Not Going Away' by Ozzy Osbourne. Lyrics referenced at AZLyrics.

You know the rest: read, review, vote in the poll. And thanks for putting up with me. I'll see if I can't get this train moving a little faster from here on out.

* * *

Don't tell me I'm wrong  
Don't tell me that you knew all along  
I won't roll over dead  
Only I know what goes on in my head

I've got nothing to hide, I'm not guilty inside  
I won't give up, after all I'm still crazy

I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Try so hard to break me but all your diamonds turn to sand  
I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Say goodbye forever, I'll wait for you in no man's land

Get out of my way  
There's nothing you can do to change what I say  
I won't ever let go  
I got the answer but you'll never know

I got my eyes open wide, ain't gonna slip up or slide  
Can't take me down, after all I'm still crazy

I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Try so hard to break me but all your diamonds turn to sand  
I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Say goodbye forever, I'll wait for you in no man's land

I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Try so hard to break me but all your diamonds turn to sand  
I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Say goodbye forever, I'll wait for you in no man's land  
I'm not going away  
I'm not going away  
I'm not going away, I'm not going  
Say goodbye forever, I'll wait for you in no man's land

—Not Going Away by Ozzy Osbourne

* * *

"Our first memories are still a little fuzzy, but we were standing on the street when we suddenly . . . woke up, I guess? I don't think we were sleeping . . ." Tetsu explained, looking down at his feet as they walked the streets of Port Island. He had the fist spurs Akihiko had given him strapped to his hands in case of another sudden Shadow attack. Beside him, Itsu carried the shortened poleax she'd been given, looking as confused as he did. "Anyway," he continued, "I remember just . . . standing and staring for a long time. We were holding hands—really gripping each other, as if we expected some sudden shock. We wandered around pretty aimlessly for what felt like days after, just trying to jog _some_ memory, anything."

"This was somewhere between Paulownia and Moonlight Bridge," Itsu supplied. "The entire city was familiar to us once we got oriented, so we must live around here, right? Maybe we're even Gekkoukan students? There aren't a lot of other options for past lives, are there?"

"That's certainly a strong possibility," Mitsuru affirmed. "While none of us recognize either of you, it's possible that you were of a different year than the rest of us. Perhaps even graduated already, since neither of you seems to know your own exact age. However, there _is _another option I've been considering." She stopped at an intersection, the rest of the group stopping with her, and turned to face the amnesiac couple directly. "You both seemed to recognize the name Kirijo last night as possibly having some significance to yourselves. Tell me: does the name Strega ring any bells as well?"

The eyes of every other SEES member assembled widened at the mention. "Strega?" Junpei was the first to question. "Senpai, you don't think . . . ?"

Mitsuru nodded and reached down to her thigh, sliding her Evoker from its holster and holding it up for examination. "As we've established before, this is Kirijo-exclusive technology. The only way to get one is to have it issued to you by the Group, and Persona-users recognized by Kirijo were all monitored within Group-sponsored programs, of which there were only two: SEES and Strega. And you obviously weren't part of SEES," she added to the couple, sheathing her Evoker.

"Strega," Itsu repeated, sharing a curious glance with Tetsu. "What is that?"

Mitsuru sighed and averted her gaze. "One of Kirijo's bigger mistakes, after creating the Dark Hour, though its intentions were . . . good, I suppose," she answered hesitantly. "The Group wanted to explore the Dark Hour and Tartarus immediately after their creation, but in those early days, very little was known about Personas and Shadows or the connection between the two. Without willing or practiced Persona-users available, or even known about—I mean, there was a theory, but no one had ever . . . until I was brought to Tartarus with my father . . ." She trailed off, her confident exterior cracking.

"Some hotshots in the company rounded up a bunch of people under the radar," Akihiko continued, stepping in to fill her silence. "Homeless people, delinquents, orphans: people no one would notice missing. Then they forced Shadows into them and sent them into Tartarus. And none of that was your fault, Mitsuru," he added, laying a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "Stop trying to shoulder all the guilt for what you didn't do."

Tetsu and Itsu looked between them and each other, both expressions thoughtful. "Strega," Tetsu repeated. "Hm. And they had . . . _Shadows _forced into them? Really?"

"A Shadow is a malevolent Persona freed of its host," Mitsuru said, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Likewise, a Persona is an attached and controlled Shadow. They both have the same origins in human emotion and experience. We learned that the hard way ourselves six months ago." She shook her head, talking as much to herself and her team as to Tetsu and Itsu now. "I don't think Kirijo knew as much back in the days of Strega. They just saw it as fighting fire with fire. Or maybe they knew and thought attaching people to Shadows was enough to grant the potential. I'm not sure. Either way, the results were disastrous."

"Those who had their Personas forced on them didn't know how to control them," Akihiko continued. "They were as liable to kill their user as their user's enemy, sometimes completely at random. The only way around it was to take an experimental drug that suppressed the Persona's power, but even that turned out to have terminal side-effects."

"Almost all of the unwilling participants of Project Strega ended up dead shortly after the project's genesis," Mitsuru explained, "either due to Shadows, drugs, or their own ill-fitted Personas. Kirijo pulled the plug soon after with little new information on Tartarus until the discovery of naturally gifted Persona-users and the formation of SEES. Most of the files on Strega were then either deleted or heavily classified and locked away—but not every member of the project died before its end. At least three, we now know, simply disappeared and began their own clandestine operations outside of Kirijo's notice." She stood up, arms crossed, back in charge again. "Which means other participants might also be unaccounted for without our knowing."

"And you think maybe we could be just that," Itsu concluded. "Runaway Strega members who haven't cropped up until now."

"No way," Junpei muttered, shaking his head. "Man, one more bad memory I thought we'd seen the last of. Now Strega's coming back along with the Dark Hour and the Shadows?"

"It's a possibility, like we said," Mitsuru said. "And it would explain why you both have Evokers. Although, by that logic, if there were other unaccounted Strega participants wandering around Iwatodai, it's also possible that you found them leftover by someone else. Kirijo keeps strict and detailed records on its technologies, especially where Shadows are concerned, but not when it comes to Strega. There the data and records seem to simply disappear, and no one wants to acknowledge them. I've searched for the official project history myself before, but whoever is in charge of hiding what's left of them keeps the trail well camouflaged, even from the Group CEO."

"Does any of this sound familiar at all?" Akihiko asked the couple. "Have you ever taken Persona-suppressing drugs before, or do you have to struggle to summon your Personas even with an Evoker?"

"Familiar?" Tetsu repeated with a small smile. "It's hard to say, really, when it comes to things directly related to Shadows. We know a lot more about the Dark Hour than we really should—about Tartarus, which neither of us remember ever seeing in person, and even about you guys before we ever met you. Something about this place just . . . _feeds _us information, we think."

"A definite 'no' on the Persona suppressing thing, though," Itsu added. "The last thing we want to do is weaken ourselves. We're already strung out as it is. And other than the mental fatigue from using our power, summoning Personas isn't too taxing, no. Drawing them out is actually refreshing. I always feel like I'm closer to the self I left behind when I'm Evoked."

"Me too," Tetsu added. "There's a relief to it, somehow, like a burden being lifted. Something . . . peaceful." The two of them looked wistfully off into the distance for a moment, lost in reflection. "Or as peaceful as it gets around here anyway," Tetsu continued after a pause, coming back to the present. "Even though calling them out means more fighting. If that makes any sense."

Mitsuru nodded. "Very well. You don't seem to fit the profile for Strega participants, but there's definitely more to this project than we know about. That's one of the few things I'm certain of regarding the incident." She half-turned to face down the road toward Moonlight Bridge while still addressing the group behind her. "It's also just as likely that this Strega thing is a dead end. I'll keep following it on my end all I can during the day. For now, let's find the place where you first remember coming to. Maybe that can give us another clue. Sooner or later we're going to discover all of the questions surrounding this situation, and then all that's left will be the answers."

* * *

Paulownia Mall rose up immediately before them, a dark green bubble under the moon's perverted glow, when the group stopped and turned toward one another again. Off to the left and slightly behind them, the towers of Moonlight Bridge jutted out from the horizon overtop of the cityscape like sentinels standing guard over the city in the eerie gloom. A small cluster of buildings and a web of roads and alleys separated the two landmarks, and it was toward these that Tetsu and Itsu turned their attention. "I think it was closer to the bridge," Itsu said. "I remember a wide street crowded with coffins and slick with blood—someplace a lot of people were gathered, even at midnight. We headed this way afterward. The mall was one of our first stops, and we camped out here for a while waiting to see what would happen and gathering what supplies we could. It's also where we ran into our first Shadows."

"There were groups of them then," Tetsu added, "but the Shadows themselves were weak and manageable. We used our powers instinctively when they attacked—we remembered everything about our Personas and how to summon them the moment it became necessary—and afterward, that's when other information began to pop into our heads without cause. Tartarus, Nyx, the history of the Dark Hour . . . we began to know things about them that we shouldn't, vague memories we don't remember triggering, though nothing of our own lives. And then soon the Shadows started thinning out, but the ones that did attack us were stronger, harder to kill. That minotaur that was after us the first night Fuuka and Yukari showed up, that was the first Shadow we weren't able to defeat on our own. We spent hours, days in the real world, running and hiding and trying to wear it down before Yukari finished it off for us. And then that raven . . ." He shook his head with a sad smile. "We would've been done for without your help. They keep getting stronger while we keep wearing out."

"That's another mystery we'll have to look into," Mitsuru said. "For now, see if you can lead us back to this crowded street you remember. Yamigishi, keep an eye out for . . . Yamagishi?" She trailed off as all eyes turned to Fuuka.

The girl clutched her hands to her chest, eyes shut tight and eyebrows scrunched together, her face turned toward Moonlight Bridge. "Something . . . is coming," she said quietly.

"Another Shadow already?" Junpei groaned, both hands wrapping around the hilt of his sword as they all turned to where Fuuka was facing. "Geez, it's like they're lining up for us."

"I . . . I'm not sure," Fuuka said, eyes opening a crack. "It feels like a Shadow, but . . . it doesn't. It feels powerful . . . but it barely feels alive at all. What _is_ this?" She reached into her dress pocket then and pulled out her own Evoker. The rest of the group backed away as she bent her forehead to the cold metal barrel and shut her eyes. For one tense moment she froze up. The next she pulled the trigger.

A shot rang out, glass shattered, and a swell of soft blue light burst out from her in a cloud of brilliance against the gloomy night. When it faded she stood, still clutching her Evoker, in a transparent orb of what looked like stained glass, overtop of which sat the body of her Persona, Juno—an ebony-black female figure in a lacy red corset and long blue hair, six eyes painted on her white mask and six more on her outspread wings. The air around Persona and user swelled gently upward in a soft, perpetual breeze, fluttering Juno's hair and the lace on its outfit while, inside, Fuuka stood completely still.

_It's a Shadow, _Fuuka's voice whispered in their heads, though her lips never moved. _But it's strange. It's not _just _a Shadow—it's something else too. Its arcana is . . . Fortune. No, wait . . . Death?_

"What does that mean?" Akihiko demanded, stepping to the front of the group between whatever was approaching and everybody else. "Which is it?"

_I don't know. It's . . . fluctuating. It's both, somehow._

"Are there more than one?" Ken asked, hefting his spear in front of him behind his senpai. "That's happened before, right? With those twelve big Shadows we fought last year. Two show up at once and confuse things."

_But it's not that, _Fuuka's voice said. _It's too small, and there's no other presence around it. _Inside Juno, Fuuka raised her head and opened her eyes, staring off down the road. _It's coming. Get ready!_

Everyone else, with the exception of Aigis and Akihiko, drew their weapons and spread out in a line between Fuuka and the empty street, waiting for their next enemy. Koromaru growled around the knife in his muzzle, baring his fangs while the human members of SEES took up their fighting stances. Aigis's hands whirred and spun, her fingers retracting to gun barrels, while next to her Tetsu and Itsu hoisted their new weapons nervously, in worse shape and with less experience than their companions. No one said anything as they waited, and the silence dragged on as, down the street, a dark figure rounded the corner and walked, slowly and calmly, toward their group.

Even with Fuuka's confused warning, it was smaller than anyone else was expecting—the height of a man, and about the same size. The shadows hid its features as it approached, and it made no noise, no roar or screech of aggression like the others they'd faced so far. It wasn't until it stepped into the unblocked moonlight of the mall parking lot half a block away that they could see it clearly—and when they did, every one of them started in shock.

_W-what? How? _Fuuka asked wordlessly, echoing the thoughts of all around her as the thin, pale figure scanned their ranks and smiled in cold glee. It _was_ a man: shirtless and lean, with long, dirty white hair and five o'clock shadow. A gleaming revolver stuck out from his belt; all down one arm a twisting, serpentine tattoo stretched, ending in barbed wire around his wrist; and in his eyes as he studied them a lifeless madness flickered alongside recognition.

"Well, well . . . and here we are again," said Takaya. "Remarkable coincidence, isn't it? Oh, but I have missed you, children . . ."


End file.
